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The  Observatory,  Chichen  Itza,  Yucatan,  Mexico 


MAY  1955 


In  This  Issue: 

Archaeology  and  the  Book  of  Mormon 
by  Dr.  Milton  R.  Hunter 


by  Dr.  Franklin  S.  Harris,  Jr. 


The  biggest  eggs  known  to  man  come 
from  Madagascar  and  are  more  than 
2400  years  old.  Laid  by  the  half-ton 
ostrich-like  Aepyornis  maximus  Ele- 
phant Bird,  the  fossil  eggs  were  more 
than  a  foot  long  and  weighed  about  18 
pounds  when  fresh. 

Recent  studies  of  the  use  of  yellow 
driving  glasses  and  tinted  wind- 
shields for  night  driving  have  found 
that  they  reduce  the  ability  to  distinguish 
objects  through  loss  of  acuity  and  con- 
trast vision,  particularly  at  low  illumina- 
tion levels,  compared  to  when  such 
devices  are  not  used. 

To  eliminate  scratches  on  film  which 
show  when  making  photographic 
enlargements  a  new  silicone  liquid  has 
been  found  which  has  about  the  same 
index  of  refraction  as  the  film  so  that 
when  the  scratches  are  filled  with  the 
liquid  they  can't  be  seen.  The  liquid 
also  removes  fingerprints,  and  when 
used  with  a  special  carrier  permits  wash- 
ing off  dust  particles. 

Adult  vertebrates  have  a  blood  pig- 
ment, hemoglobin,  but  three  species 
of  fish  native  to  the  waters  of  South 
Georgia  Island  in  the  South  Atlantic 
have  colorless  blood.  These  fish  do  not 
have  any  of  the  special  erythrocyte  cells 
which  contain  hemoglobin. 

With  the  graduation  of  6861  in  1953- 
54  the  physicians  in  the  United 
States  have  increased  to  one  in  every 
730  persons. 

Anew  midget  tape  pocket  recorder  has 
been  developed  which  by  using 
printed  circuits  and  hearing  aid  tubes 
is  small  enough  to  be  carried  in  a  large 
overcoat  pocket. 

HT'he  origin  of  the  manufacture  of  soap 
goes  back  more  than  5,000  years  ac- 
cording to  Martin  Levey  of  Pennsyl- 
vania State  University.  Washing  the 
body  and  general  cleaning  use  of  soap 
came  later,  early  use  was  for  cleaning 
of  wool  and  medical  purposes.  Until 
the  middle  of  the  nineteenth  century 
soda  and  potash  from  plant  ashes  were 
the  most  common  washing  materials. 
MAY  1955 


and  new  tete 


In  Crackers ! 


Try  these  delicious  new  crackers 

- — different  from  anything  you've 

ever  tasted!    They  have  a  rich, 

^    hearty  flavor  .  .  .  crisp,  delicate  texture  .  .  .  and  an 

inviting  "two-bite"  shape! 


a  smart 

NEW 

shape! 


PURITY  BISCUIT  COMPANY 


Salt  Lake   •    Phoenix  •   Pocatelto 


289 


*\ 


KITCHEn  CHflRm 

WAXED  PAPER 

KEEPS  FOOD 

FRESHER  LONGER! 


•    POPULAR     WITH     MILLIONS 
OF     H  OUSF  WIVES... 

AT   ALL    LEADING    GROCERS 


STONE 
GRIND 

wmowtt 


FLOUR! 


Enjoy 
finer  flavor 
and  greater 
nutrition  of 
whole  wheat 
grain  .  .  . 

freshly  ground! 


Ever-increasing 
in  popularity 

Everyone  knows  that 
bread  and  other  cereal 
foods  made  with  whole 
grain  freshly  ground 
is  far  tastier  and  richer 
in  health-giving  nutri- 
ments. And  —  it's  the 
wise  home  where  some- 
thing  is  done  about  it. 

Rapid  —  efficient,  the 
Lee  Household  Electric 
Fiour  Mill  reduces  whole 
grain  to  fluffy  flour  for 
a  fraction  of  a  penny 
a  pound.  Best  of  all, 
it's  STONE  GROUND — 


every  food  element  is 
retained!  WRITE  TO- 
DAY for  prices— FREE 
recipes — rood1  facts! 

SPECIAL 
OFFER  —  FLOUR 

Send  coupon  for  intro- 
ductory offer  of  5-ib. 
pkg.,  Deaf  Smith  wheat 
flour,  America's  rich- 
est in  food  elements, 
or  select  Wis. -Minn., 
wheat  flour  —  stone 
ground  the  day  it's 
shipped. 

LEE  ENGINEERING  CO. 

Milwaukee  3,  Wis. 


LEE  ENGINEERING  COMPANY,  Dept.,    I.E. 
2023  W.  Wisconsin  Ave.,  Milwaukee  3,  Wis. 

□  DEAF  SMITH    FLOUR,   5-lb.   pkg.    Postpaid.    Only  $1.50 

□  WIS. -MINN.   FLOiJR,   5-  lb.  pkg.   Postpaid.   Only  $1.00 

Name 


Street     . 
City   

290 


.State 


A  SCHEME  FOR  SAFER  AND  BETTER  HIGHWAYS 


by  Dr.  G.  Homer  Durham 

VICE    PRESIDENT,    UNIVERSITY  OF  UTAH 


EDITOR'S  NOTE 
This  month  Dr.  G.  Homer  Durham  expresses  his  views  on  long-range  high- 
way construction  and  safety. 


There   are    fifty-eight    million    motor 
vehicles    registered    in    the    United 
States,    using   3,400,000    miles    of    roads 
and   streets,   of   which   one    fourth    are 
paved  (920,000  miles)  and  only  a  good 
third   (1,250,000)   graveled.     By  1970  it 
is  estimated  that  there  will  be  85  mil- 
lion   vehicles    on    the    highways     and 
streets,  all  with  higher-powered  engines  • 
and  moving  at  greatly  increased  speeds. 
If   present   trends   continue,    the    death 
toll   from  accidents  will   increase,   and 
the  ratio  of  modern  highways  capable 
of  carrying  heavy  traffic  will   fall   be- 
hind the  present  available  facilities.  Ob- 
viously,   something   must 
be  done.  Better  and  safer 
highways  have  to  be  built 
or    the    number    of    ve- 
hicles   reduced    or    con- 
trolled.  The  latter  is  un- 
desirable.    President      Y/T&r 
Eisenhower  has  awaken- 
ed  interest   in   the   prob- 
lem by  his  1955  message 
on  highways  to  the  Con- 
gress.    His  proposals  are  now  being  de- 
bated  and   discussed. 

The  danger  inherent  in  past  highway- 
planning  policies  has  been  that  we  have 
thought  only  in  terms  of  bringing  our 
road  systems  up  to  date  and  not  of 
planning  and  building  for  future  antici- 
pated need.  To  construct  1955  highways 
for  1955  vehicles,  1955  cities,  and  1955 
traffic,  is  insufficient.  "Where  there  is 
no  vision,  the  people  perish"  (Prov. 
29:18),  many  of  them  perishing  on  the 
highways.  The  following  "proposi- 
tions" and  sub-topics  are  therefore  pre- 
sented as  a  device  for  stimulating  inter- 
est in  future  as  well  as  current  need. 
The  "day-dreaming"  schemes  which 
follow  only  assume,  (1)  need,  (2)  the 
existence  of  engineering  knowledge  and 
skill,  (3)  the  larger  fiscal  capacity  of 
the  national,  as  contrasted  with  state 
and  local  units,  and  (4)  the  need  for 
a  new  conception  of  "national"  inter- 
state highways  for  economic  growth, 
defense,  and  emergency.  The  practical 
problems  remain  to  be  solved  after  the 
"dreaming." 

Proposition  #1 

The  national  government  should  as- 
sume the  major  costs  of  constructing  and 
maintaining  the  "primary"  roads  in  a 
"national"  interstate  highway  system. 

Wherever    feasible    and    if    desirable 


(especially  in  built-up  populated  areas 
where  congestion  is  heaviest),  the  toll 
principle  could  be  utilized,  if  necessary, 
to  construct  the  necessary,  modern  ex- 
pressways and  thruways. 

The  constitutional  basis  for  the  fore- 
going would  be  the  power  to  tax  and 
spend  (the  "taxing"  and  "spending" 
powers)  "for  the  common  defense  and 
general  welfare  of  the  United  States" 
(Article  I,  section  8)  "to  establish  post 
offices  and  post  roads"  and  "to  regu- 
late commerce  .  .  .  among  the  several 
states."  (Idem.) 

Sufficient  time  has  elapsed  since 
World  War  II  to  demon- 
strate that  the  gap  be- 
tween construction  and 
maintenance,  and  actual 
traffic,  is  ever-widening. 
Highway  deaths  are  in- 
creasing. The  political 
pressure  on  state  legisla- 
tures for  funds  to  be 
spread  thinly  over  a 
variety  of  public  works, 
mental  hospitals  and  institutions,  educa- 
tion, buildings,  and  other  state-local  re- 
quirements, is  such  that  despite  heavy 
and  constant  pressure  from  highway- 
users,  truckers  and  other  associations,  the 
gap  between  vehicle-miles-speed  and 
adequate  roads  will  continue  to  widen. 
The  fiscal  "will"  of  the  states  does  not 
seem  to  keep  pace  with  the  creative 
spirit  and  capacity  of  American  industry. 
The  federal  government,  with  broader 
fiscal  resources,  can  help  fill  this  do- 
mestic "dollar  gap." 

The  critical  consideration  in  the  pro- 
posal is  the  definition  of  the  new  na- 
tional system  as  distinguished  from  the 
federal-state,  state,  and  local  systems 
now  designated. 

Contractors  have  learned  to  deal  with 
state  highway  authorities  rather  than 
with  the  Public  Roads  Administration, 
directly.  Contract  authorizations  should 
not  be  centralized  in  Washington.  State 
highway  departments  may  still  collabo- 
rate with  PRA  district  officials  and  pre- 
serve local  responsibility. 

Proposition  #2 

The  present  pattern  of  federal  aid  for 
"state"  and  local  highways  should  con- 
tinue with  about  the  same  volume  of 
federal  funds.  These  funds,  with  exist- 
ing    state    gasoline     taxes,     should     be 

(Continued  on  page  366) 
THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


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Religious  Books  and  Supplies 


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New  Books  For  Book  Lovers 

1.  Not  by  Bread  Alone  1.50 

2.  Story    Classics    100 

3.  Doctrines   of  Salvation   3.00 

4.  Matthew  Cowley,  Man   of  Faith..  3.50 

5.  Power  of  Positive  Thinking   2.95 

6.  L.D.S.    Scriptures    4.50 

7.  Gospel    Ideals    4.00 

8.  Your  Faith  and  You   3.00 

9.  For  Time   or  Eternity?   2.00 

10.  First   2000   Years   3.25 


Genealogical   Supplies 

11.  Leatherette   Binders   - 1.00 

12.  Temple    Binders    - 3.00 

13.  Coat   of  Arms   Binder   5.00 

14.  Acetate   Sheets   25   and   .35 

15.  Family  Group  Sheets  per  c.    1.40 

16.  Pedigree   Charts   per  c.    1.40 

17.  Family    History    per  c.    1.40 

18.  Personal    Record    per  c.    1.40 

19.  Plain  Bond  - per  c.    1.00 

20.  Picture  Pedigree  Sheets  doz.      .35 

To    Make    Your    Teaching    More 
Effective 

21.  Flanel   Boards   (Easel   Type)    4.00 

22.  Flanel  Board  (Portable  Leather- 
ette)   - 6.00 


23.  Songs  to  Sing  2.00 

24.  Our  Bible  35 

25.  Wheat  for  Man   100 

26.  His  Many  Mansions  2.25 

27.  Story    Classics    1  00 

28.  Story   Gems    100 

29.  History   of   All    Churches   Chart 25 

30.  Joseph  Smith,  By  His  Mother 

Lucy  Mack  Smith   2.25 

31.  Challenge    of   Our   Times   2.00 

32.  We    Believe    100 

33.  Les  Go  Scrapbook  1.00 

34.  Contents,  Structure  and  Author- 
ship of  the  Book  of  Mormon 3.00 

35.  Story   Teller's    Scrapbook 1.00 

36.  Treasures  Unearthed  1.00 

For  the  Children 

37.  A  Child's  Story  of  the  Pearl  of 
Great    Price 1.75 

38.  Book  of  Mormon  Stories  for 

Young    L.D.S 3.00 

39.  Bible   Stories   for   Young    L.D.S 3.00 

40.  The  Story  of  Our  Church  for 

Young    Latter-day    Saints    3.00 

41.  Journey  to  Promised  Land  1.75 

42.  Precious  Land  of  Promise  ..: 1.75 

43.  Land  of  Their  Inheritance  1.75 

44.  Savior  Visits    Promised    Land    1.75 

45.  Story    Princess    Book 1.00 


BOOKCRAFT  Mav   '55 
1186  South  Main,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

Please  send  the  following  circled  books: 

1       2      3       4      5      6       7       8       9     10     1 1     12     13  14     15     16     17     18     19     20     21     22     23 

24    25     26    27    28    29    30    31     32    33     34    35     36  37     38    39    40     41     42    43     44    45 

for   which    I   enclose   check   (      )      money   order    (      )        for   $ 


NAME 


ADDRESS 

CITY STATE. 


BOOKCRAFT 


1186  SOUTH  MAIN 


SALT  LAKE  CITY  4,  UTAH 


MAY  1955 


291 


^^  IMPROVEMENT  ^Rj 

"The  Voice  of  the  Church" 


i^J       n-J 


n~> 


VOLUME  58 


NUMBER  5 


au 


1955 


Editors:   DAVID   O.  McKAY     -     RICHARD   L.   EVANS 

Managing  Editor:  DOYLE  L.  GREEN 

Associate  Managing  Editor:   MARBA  C.  JOSEPHSON 

Production  Editor:  ELIZABETH  J.  MOFFITT 

Research  Editor:  ALBERT  L.  ZOBELL,  JR. 

Contributing-  Editors:  ARCHIBALD  F.  BENNETT     -     G.  HOMER  DURHAM 

FRANKLIN  S.   HARRIS,  JR.     -     HUGH   NIBLEY     -     LEE    A.   PALMER 

CLAUDE  B.  PETERSEN     -     SIDNEY  B.  SPERRY 

General  Manager:  ELBERT  R.  CURTIS     -     Associate  Manager:  BERTHA  S.  REEDER 

Business  Manager:   JOHN  D.  GILES     -     Advertising  Director:  VERL  F.  SCOTT 

Subscription  Director:  A.   GLEN  SNARR 


The  Editor's  Page 


Some  Thoughts  on  the  Social  Problems  of  Young  People 

- President  David  O.  McKay  301 

Church  Features 

Your  Question:   Card  Playing  and  Games  of  Chance 

_ President  Joseph  Fielding  Smith  302 

The  Way  of  the  Church— Controlling  the  Past— Part  V 

HughNibley  306 

Unlocking  the  Doors  to  Opportunity  Eugenie  Daniels  309 

Letter  to  a  Missionary  Companion  Rulon  Kalian  314 

The  Escape  of  Mulek  Ariel  L.  Crowley  324 

The  Church  Moves  On  296      Presiding  Bishopric's  Page  354 

Genealogy  309      Master  M  Men  Breakfast  367 

Melchizedek   Priesthood   352 


Special  Features 


".  .  .  Keep  Fit.    Be  a  Man" David  S.  King  304 

".  .  .  publish  it  upon  the  mountains" — the  story  of  Martin  Harris 

Chapter  III William  H.  Homer,  Jr.  310 

Archaeology  and  the  Book  of  Mormon — II Milton  R.  Hunter  316 

Prayer:  the  Key  to  Security Ezra  J.  Poulsen  323 

Through  the  Eyes  of  Youth:    Happy  Mother's  Day,  Sweetheart! 

__ Eileen  Gibbons  328 

James  Wother spoon — Eagle  Scout Victor  Lindblad  330 

The  Spoken  Word  from  Temple  Square  

! ..Richard  L.  Evans  332,  336,  340 


Exploring  the  Universe,',  Franklin  S. 

Harris,  Jr '-.'. 289 

These   Times,   A   Scheme   for   Safer 

and  Better  Highways,  G:  Homer 

Today's  Family 

Know  Your  LDS  Cooks,  The  Savor 
of  Old-Fashioned  Cooking,  Iris 

Parker   356 

Basket  Birthdays,  Evelyn  Witter  ..358 
Handy  Hints  359 


Durham 290 

That    Friendly    Touch,    Florence    J. 

Johnson - 294 

Your  Page  &  Ours 368 


The  Ambassador  Came  to  Dinner, 
Jerry  Wooden  360 

If  I  Were  in  My  Teens,  Edith  F. 
Shepherd 362 


Stories,  Poetry 


May  Is  the  Time  Verna  Linburg  312 

Mother  of  the  Year  Elsie  Chamberlain  Carroll  320 


Frontispiece, 

Ames   

Poetry  Page 


Sea  Host,  Bernice 


Suffer    Little   Children,   Virgil   B.  * 

.299  Smith 351 

.300      My  Wealth,  H.  H.  Ramsay  367 


icia 


I   Lyman   of 


THE  PRIESTHOOD  QUORUMS, 
MUTUAL  IMPROVEMENT  ASSO- 
CIATIONS, DEPARTMENT  OF 
EDUCATION,  MUSIC  COMMITTEE, 
WARD  TEACHERS,  AND  OTHER 
AGENCIES   OF 

Jke    L^kurch    of 

deiuS    L^kriit 

of   oLatter-dau    J^ainli 


Jhe    Cf 


over 


Our  cover  this  month  is  a  full-color 
reproduction  of  the  Observatory,  or  Cara- 
cal, at  Chichen  Itza,  Yacatan,  Mexico, 
taken  by  Otto  Done  while  on  a  trip  with 
Dr.  Milton  R.  Hunter.  Dr.  Hunter  re- 
lates his  experiences  while  on  the  trip  in 
the  articles  running  currently  in  these 
pages,  and  in  subsequent  issues,  under  the 
title  "Archaeology  and  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon." 


EDITORIAL    AND    BUSINESS    OFFICES 
50  North  Main  Street 

Y.M.M.LA.    Offices,   50   North   Main    St. 

Y.W.M.I.A.   Offices,    40   North  Main   St. 

Salt    Lake    City    1,   Utah 

Copyright  1955  by  Mutual  Funds,  Inc.,  and 
published  by  the  Mutual  Improvement  Asso- 
ciations of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Lat- 
ter-day Saints.  All  rights  reserved.  Sub- 
scription price,  $2.50  a  year,  in  advance ; 
foreign  subscriptions,  $3.00  a  year,  in  advance; 
25e   single   copy. 

Entered  at  the  Post  Office,  Salt  Lake  City, 
Utah,  as  second-class  matter.  Acceptance  for 
mailing  at  special  rate  of  postage  provided 
for  in  section  1103.  Act  of  October  1917,  au- 
thorized   July   2,    1918. 

The  Improvement  Era  is  not  responsible  for 
unsolicited  manuscripts,  but  welcomes  con- 
tributions. All  manuscripts  must  be  accom- 
panied by  sufficient  postage  for  delivery  and 
return. 

Change    of    Address 

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Member,  Audit  Bureau  of  Circulations 


292 


THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


YOUR  HAY'S  IN  FOR  LESS! 


when  you  make  hay 

with  these 


machines 


BALE  WITH  THE 


AND  PROFIT  2  WAYS 


GET  GREATER  VALUE 

FROM  YOUR  OWN  HAY 

You  make  more  on  your  hay,  when  you  put  it  up  in  firm, 
square-cornered,  wire-tied  bales  with  the  original  MM 
Bale-O-Matic.  The  54-inch  pickup  leaves  a  clean  field 
behind  you,  and  the  raker-bar  feed  handles  moist  or  dry 

EARN  EXTRA  MONEY  CUSTOM  BALING 

fWhen  your  own  hay  is  in,  custom  baling  can  easily  add  to 
your  cash  income.  The  Bale-O-Matic  bales  from  windrow 
or  stack,  turns  out  30-,  35-,  37*4.-,  40-,  or  45-inch  bales 
that  meet  any  requirement  for  shipping  or  resale.  With 
its  powerful  V-4  engine,  and  safety  advantages  like  shear 
bolts  on  the  flywheel  and  3  rachet-type  slip  clutches  pro- 
tecting conveyor  and  tying  mechanism,  the  Bale-O-Matic 
is  built  to  stand  up.  See  your  MM  dealer  now,  for  2-way 
profit  facts  on  the  one-and-only  MM  Bale-O-Matic. 


FIELD-CHOP  HAY  AND  ROW  CROPS 
i    FASTER  WITH  THIS  MM  FORAGOR 

This  new  MM  Foragor  chops  hay,  corn,  or  other 
forage  crops  faster  than  ever  before.  Hay  or  row 
crop  heads  are  quickly  interchangeable  without 
changing  the  feeder  apron.  You  set  cutting  lengths 
of  %",  Vi",  %",  1-Vs",  2-H",  or  3"  without  remov- 
ing cutter  knives  .  .  .  get  uniform  cutting  without 
leaf  loss  or  stem  shattering.  Speed  of  blower  and 
cutter,  pickup,  and  feeder  are  quickly  changed 
without  removing  or  adding  chain  links.  Powered 
by  a  new  V-4  engine  through  a  2-speed  V-belt 
drive,  the  Foragor  is  easily  pulled  by  any  2-plow 
tractor.  Before  you  buy  any  forage  harvester,  be 
sure  you  have  all  the  facts  on  the  new  MM  Foragor. 


hay  without  leaf  loss.  Bales  are  tied  under  self-adjusting 
compression  for  uniform  weight  .  .  .  sliced  in  layers  for 
easiest  feeding.  MM's  exclusive  pivoting  packer  distrib- 
utes as  it  packs  .  .  .  eliminates  light  spots.  Tying  mechan- 
ism makes  only  one  knot  per  strand,  bends  wire  ends  in, 
leaves  no  wire  clippings. 


\ 


\ 


H 


On 


P.S.  Ask  your  MM  dealer  about  the  new  Uni- 
Foragor  attachment  for  the  self-propelled  MM 
Uni-Farmor. 


INNEAPOLIS-MOLINE 


MAY  1955 


MINNEAPOLIS  1,  MINNESOTA 

293 


See  San  Francisco 


ON  YOUR  WAY  TO  LOS  ANGELES 


Take  Southern  Pacific's  fine,  fast  Overland  Route  trains  to 
San  Francisco ...  stop  off  and  visit  this  gay,  cosmopolitan  city... 
then  complete  your  trip  to  Los  Angeles  on  S.P.'s  California  Day- 
light, the  luxurious,  scenic  streamliner  with  the  bargain  coach 
fares!  You'll  see  California's  mountains  and  valleys, plus  113  miles 
of  beautiful  Pacific  surf. 

S.P.'s  Daylights  give  you  foam  rubber  reclining  Chair  Car 
seats . . .  huge  picture  windows . . .  economical  Coffee  Shop . .  .Tavern 
Car  for  refreshments  and  congenial  company.  Your  seat  is  reserved. 

So  the  next  time  you  go  to  Los  Angeles,  see  the  magic  city 
of  San  Francisco — then  see  California  by  Daylight. 

For  information  and  reservations  for  your  California  trip, 
call  at  our  Salt  Lake  City  Ticket  Office,  or  write  T.  E.  Hewitt, 
General  Agent,  14  South  Main  St.,  Salt  Lake  City  1. 


294 


THAT  FRIENDLY  TOUCH 


By  Florence  J.  Johnson 


During  the  past  years  I  have  made 
many  friends.  Miles  separate 
us.  But  our  letters  and  notes 
keep  us  in  touch  with  one  another. 
Because  of  this  active  correspondence 
list,  I  have  a  "Friends'  Night."  This 
is  an  evening  I  spend  at  my  desk,  re- 
reading the  notes  and  cards  and  let- 
ters that  I  have  received  since  the 
last  Friends'  Night,  and  writing  the 
many  letters  that  are  to  be  answered. 

I  do  not  have  time  to  write  long 
letters  every  time,  but  an  avalanche 
of  cards  and  notes  do  go  out,  mixed 
with  several  lengthy  letters.  A  care- 
fully kept  record  book  keeps  me  in- 
formed so  that  no  one  is  slighted. 

I  am  an  avid  greeting  card  collector 
and  am  always  on  the  lookout  for 
something  unusual,  something  differ- 
ent. The  same  goes  for  note  sta- 
tionery. All  these  go  into  a  special 
box,  and  I  am  seldom  at  a  loss  for 
the  right  card.  As  for  notes — a  few 
months  ago,  I  fell  off  a  chair  I  was 
using  for  a  ladder  and  sprained  an 
ankle.  Yes,  I  have  a  kitchen  ladder, 
but  it  happened  to  be  in  another  part 
of  the  house,  so  I  climbed  up  on  a 
chair.  Some  of  the  stationery  I  had 
on  hand  had  a  picture  of  a  woman 
doing  just  that  thing.  I  used  this 
in  sending  notes  to  some  of  my 
friends.  Weeks  later,  I  received  a 
letter  from  a  friend,  thanking  me  for 
saving  her  from  just  the  same  kind 
of  accident.  She  was  planning  to 
clean  the  top  shelves  of  her  cupboard, 
the  stepladder  was  in  the  garage,  and 
it  was  raining.  She  was  building  up 
the  height  of  the  chair  when  the 
mailman  arrived  with  my  letter. 
After  reading  the  letter,  and  seeing 
the  picture,  she  put  on  a  raincoat 
and  rubbers  and  went  out  after  that 
stepladder.  "Maybe  I  wouldn't 
have  fallen,"  she  wrote,  "but  after 
your  letter  I  wasn't  taking  any 
chances.  So,  thanks  again  for  that 
timely  bit  of  coincidental  advice." 

I  have  two  "round  robin"  groups. 
One  is  a  relative  circle;  the  other  is 
a  circle  of  friends  scattered  all  over 
the  States.  These  letters  are  lengthy 
and  accompanied  by  clippings  and 
snapshots,  all  sorts  of  miscellany. 
This  is  a  wonderful  way  to  keep  in 
touch  with  a  congenial  group,  for 
(Concluded  on  page  349) 
THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


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Exceptions  are  kept  to  a  minimum,  excluding 
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MONEY  FOR  YOU 

IF  YOU  STAY  HEALTHY 

You're  certain  to  get  money  back — either 
because  you  need  it  to  help  pay  medical  ex- 
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NAME. 


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COUNTY 
CITY OR  ZONE STATE. 

Home  Office:  Chicago  30,  Illinois 


MAY  1955 


295 


THE  CHURCH  MOVES  ON 


A  Day  To  Day  Chronology  Of  Church  Events 


February  1955 

O  A  Elder    George   Q.    Morris   of   the 
^  "  Council   of  the  Twelve  dedicated 
the  chapel  of  the  Heyburn  Ward,  Mini- 
doka (Idaho)    Stake. 

President  Ernest  C.  Anderson,  for- 
merly second  counselor  to  President 
Milan  D.  Smith  of  the  Union  (Oregon) 
Stake,  was  sustained  as  stake  president. 
Elder  Vern  L.  Nebeker  was  re-sustained 
as  first  counselor,  and  Elder  James  L. 
Stocking  was  sustained  as  second  coun- 
selor. 

President  Lionel  Marcus  West  sus- 
tained in  the  El  Paso  (Texas)  Stake, 
succeeding  President  Edward  Vernon 
Turley,  Sr.  Elder  Keith  Romney, 
formerly  second  counselor  in  the  out- 
going presidency,  was  sustained  as  first 
counselor.  Elder  Joseph  Devon  Payne 
was  sustained  as  second  counselor. 
Elder  Payne  is  the  son  of  Elder  George 
Q.  Payne  who  was  released  as  first 
counselor  in  the  stake   presidency. 


O  €>  The  First  Presidency  announced 
the  appointment  of  President  M. 
Ross  Richards  as  president  of  the  East 
Central  States  Mission,  succeeding  Presi- 
dent Cornelius  Zappey.  At  the  time  of 
this  appointment  President  Richards 
was  serving  as  second  counselor  in  the 
Bountiful  (Utah)  Stake  presidency. 
Mrs.  Richards  will  accompany  him  on 
this  new  assignment. 


O  7  Elder  Layton  B.  Jones  sustained  as 
second    counselor    in    the    Seattle 
(Washington)     Stake    presidency,    suc- 
ceeding Elder  Frank  M.  Parry. 


Mar«h  1955 


1 


The  annual  all-Church  junior 
basketball  tournament  began  at 
Deseret  Gymnasium,  Salt  Lake  City. 
Scores  of  today's  games  were: 

Aurora  41,  Raymond  Fourth  34; 
Compton  First  39,  Eugene  29;  Mesa 
Third  57,  Montpelier  Fourth  36;  South- 
gate  54,  Grant  Third  47;  Layton  Fifth 
53,  Sacramento  First  34;  Edgehill  64, 
Boise  Fourth  36;  Garden  Park  58,  Idaho 
Falls  Thirteenth  52;  Bonneville  Second 
38;  Tremonton  Third  39. 

296 


i\  Scores  in  today's  all-Church  junior 
"  basketball  games: 

Consolation:  Montpelier  Fourth  42, 
Boise  Fourth  40;  Sacramento  First  52, 
Raymond  Fourth  39. 

Championship:  Pocatello  Eleventh  56, 
Layton  Fifth  51;  Las  Vegas  First  65, 
Mesa  Third  40;  Holladay  Fourth  52, 
Aurora  46;  Compton  First  46,  Hunts- 
ville  32;  Tremonton  Third  52,  Wells- 
ville  Second  41;  Edgehill  45,  West 
Jordan  First  27;  Provo  Fifth  46,  Garden 
Park  45;  Southgate  50,  Springville  Sec- 
ond 40. 

ft  Scores   in   the    all-Church   junior 

**  basketball  tournament: 

Championship  games:  Pocatello  Elev- 
enth 72,  Holladay  Fourth  52;  Tremon- 
ton Third  38;  Southgate  36;  Compton 
First  56,  Provo  Fifth  35;  Edgehill  48, 
Las  Vegas  First  27. 

Losers'  Bracket:  Idaho  Falls  Thir- 
teenth 42,  Eugene  38;  Garden  Park  59, 
Huntsville  40;  Layton  Fifth  50,  Aurora 
45;  Grant  Third  48,  Bonneville  Second 
47;  Springville  74,  Wellsville  Second  47; 
West  Jordan  First  53,  Mesa  Third  41. 

M  Scores  in  the  all-Church  junior 
*  basketball  tournament: 

Championship  games:  Pocatello  Elev- 
enth 43,  Tremonton  Third  39;  Compton 
First  46,  Edgehill  45. 

Losers'  bracket:  Las  Vegas  First  71, 
Provo  Fifth  50;  Garden  Park  45,  West 
Jordan  35;  Layton  Fifth  67,  Springville 
Second  56;  Holladay  Fourth  56,  South- 
gate  55;  Grant  Third  57,  Sacramento 
First  35;  Idaho  Falls  Thirteenth  58, 
Montpelier  Fourth  45. 

r  Scores  of  the  final  games  of  the 
**  all-Church  junior  basketball  tour- 
nament: Compton  First  52,  Pocatello 
Eleventh  45  (first  and  second);  Edge- 
hill 46,  Tremonton  Third  44  (third 
and  seventh);  Las  Vegas  First  86,  Holla- 
day Fourth  61  (fourth  and  eighth); 
Garden  Park  60,  Layton  Fifth  59  (fifth 
and  ninth);  Grant  Third  61,  Idaho 
Falls  Thirteenth  49  (sixth  and  tenth). 
Grant  Third  Ward  won  the  consolation 
title;  Garden  Park  Ward  was  given  the 
sportsmanship  trophy. 

o   Elder   Howard   W.    Barben    was 

sustained  as  president  of  the  West 

Jordan  (Utah)  Stake  with  Elders  Leon- 


ard C.  Beckstead  and  C.  Elmo  Turner 
as  counselors.  They  succeed  President 
Lawrence  T.  Dahl  and  his  counselors, 
Elders  Royal  V.  Beckstead  and  Joseph 
P.  Butterfield. 

Elder  Clyde  M.  Lunceford  was  sus- 
tained as  second  counselor  to  President 
Philo  T.  Edwards  of  the  Sharon  (Utah) 
Stake,  succeeding  Elder  Robert  J.  Olsen, 
deceased. 


1r  Second  Assistant  General  Superin- 
«  tendent  David  S.  King  of  the 
Young  Men's  Mutual  Improvement  As- 
sociation was  appointed  to  the  Region 
12,  Boy  Scouts  of  America,  executive 
committee.  His  assignment  in  the 
YMMIA  superintendency  is  to  direct  the 
Scout  and  Explorer  programs  for  the 
Church. 

In  This  was  the  113th  anniversary  of 
'  the  organization  of  the  Relief  So- 
ciety in  the  Church.  Special  programs 
have  been  held  by  the  organization  this 
month. 


ft  a  Elder  Harold  B.  Lee  of  the  Coun- 
w "  cil  of  the  Twelve,  and  former 
president  of  the  Pioneer  Stake,  dedicated 
the  multiple-chapel  which  will  serve  the 
four  Poplar  Grove  wards  as  well  as 
being  the  stake  center  for  the  Pioneer 
(Salt  Lake  City)  Stake. 

President  Milton  R.  Hunter  of  the 
First  Council  of  the  Seventy  dedicated 
the  chapel  of  the  Genola  Ward,  Santa- 
quin-Tintic  Stake. 

ft  fi  The  First  Presidency  announced 
" "  the  appointment  of  Bishop  Ellis 
V.  Christensen  of  the  Richfield  Fourth 
Ward,  Sevier  (Utah)  Stake,  as  presi- 
dent of  the  Tahitian  Mission,  succeed- 
ing President  John  Kenneth  Orton  who 
has  been  home  some  time  because  of 
illness.  In  the  meantime  Elder  Larson 
H.  Caldwell  has  been  acting  president 
of  the  Tahitian  Mission.  President 
Christensen  served  as  a  missionary  in 
Tahiti  in  1928  and  1929.  He  has  been 
active  in  Scouting  in  Richfield  and  is 
a  former  president  of  the  seventies' 
quorum  there.  From  1943  to  1950  he 
served  as  a  member  of  the  Sevier  Stake 
high  council.  In  May  1950  he  became 
bishop  of  the  Richfield  Fourth  Ward. 
Mrs.  Christensen  and  their  four  daugh- 
ters will  also  serve  on  this  mission. 

THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


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ALWAYS    BUY    U  and  I    SUGAR 


MAY  1955 


297 


Cherished 
Experiences 

From  the  writings  of 

President  David  O.  McKay 

Compiled  by  Clare  Middlemiss 

This  stirring  book  was  compiled  for  the  pur- 
pose of  building  increased  faith  in  the  hearts 
of  all  Latter  -  day  Saints  throughout  the 
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than  any  other  President  and  has  encour- 
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dent McKay  all  the  rich  spiritual  experiences 
of  his  visits  with  Saints  all  over  the  world. 

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Man,  His  Origin  and  Destiny 


JOSEPH    FIELDING   SMITH 


With   recent   scientific   discoveries  ,electr^ngjhe   world. 
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Cherished   Experiences  1 


Name 


Address 
City 


Zone State... 

Residents  of  Utah  include  2%  sales  tax. 


298 


THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


-Photograph  by  Foldes  of  Monkmcijcr 


by  Bemice  Ames 


T7vening  and  thousands  of  gulls 
■^  Rush  to  the  sky  together, 
Carving  their  space  in  the  air, 
Wheeling,  with  never  a  feather 
Of  sound. 


MAY  1955 


F|arkness  and  gulls  drop  like  strings 
*-*    Lacing  the  shadows  of  night 
Into  the  sand  with  their  wings, 
Folding  the  last  bit  of  light 


To  the  ground. 


fiCEAN  folk  turn  up  their  lamps, 
^    Knowing  release  of  the  day 
Happens  when  thousands  of  gulls 
Have  ushered  the  twilight  away. 


299 


LILIES-OF-THE-  VALLEY 
By  Pauline  Havard 

stoop  and  pick  the  lilies-of-the-valley, 
Finding  in  each  immaculate  bell  of  snow 
The  scent  that  makes  the  past's  gate  swing 

ajar, 
Reveals    my    mother's    garden.      Clear    and 

low 
The    separate    flowers    then    chimed    their 

secret   music 
For    her    who    tended    them,    but    none    so 

clear 
As    the    chimes    rung    by    the    lilies-of-the- 
valley! 
And  so,  as  I  pick  them  now,  each  rich,  lost 

year 
Returns;  and  every  tiny,  scented  bell 
Brings   back   the   music  of  those   childhood 

hours 
I  spent  in  a  sunny  world  of  make-believe, 
Sharing  the  magic  of  my  mother's  flowers. 

MAY 
By  Gene  Romolo 


May's    plane,    gliding    gracefully    makes    a 
safe  landing, 
And    green   skirts   come   fluttering   down   to 

the   soil. 
Her  enchanting  smile,  contagious,  outstand- 
ing, 
Cheers  every  man  of  the  fields  at  his  toil. 

Soon   over   bushes    and   over    tree-branches, 
The    beauty    and    fragrance    of    blossoming 

spreads; 
So    ardent    May's    impulse,     wherever    she 

glances, 
On    hill    or    on    valley    bright    blooms    lift 

their   heads. 

Then,    again   all   too   soon   May's   plane   is 

awing, 
And    gone    is   the    loveliest    month    of    the 

spring. 


IN  A  COUNTRY  CEMETERY 
By  Leone  E.  McCune 

Now  peacefully  they  rest,  these  honored 
dead 

Here  on  this  slope,  beside  the  little  town 

These  valiant  souls  whose  earnest  toil  and 
sweat 

Transformed  the  hills  to  soft  green  eider- 
down; 

Whose  yearning  vision  saw  each  tree  lined 
street, 

The  red  schoolhouse,  the  cozy  homes  and 
yards, 

Where  children  laugh  and  run  on  flying 
feet. 

The  Church  with  bells  that  ring  the  Sab- 
bath day 

With  tall  white  spires  a-gleaming  far  and 
wide 

That  beckon  people  in  to  sing  and  pray. 

This    town,   their   monument,    the    heritage 
The   pattern  set  for  good   and   worth-while 

lives 
Left  to  their  seed,  by  noble  parentage. 

300 


TO  MY  MOTHER 
By  Calvin  Pratt 

I  see  her  in  her  rocking  chair 
When  day's  long  work  is  done. 
I  visualize  her  beauty  rare. 
I  know  the  love  she's  won. 
I  see  the  toil  of  months  and  years 
Well-worn   now   in  her  brow. 
I  see  her  calming  all  my  fears. 
I  see  it  plainly  now. 
I   marvel   at   her  tender   love, 
And  at  her  gracious  care. 
I   kneel    before    the   throne    above 
To  give  this  humble  prayer: 

Take  care  of  Mother  dear,  oh  God, 
And  bless  her  in  thy  sight, 
For  on  thy  righteous  path  she's  trod 
To  bask  in  gospel  light. 

She's  taught  each  daughter  and  each  son 

To  love  and  honor  thee; 

A  great  reward  she's  rightly  won 

For  all  eternity. 

And  so,  dear  God,  in  thy  Son's  name, 

I  humbly  ask  tonight, 

That  thou  wilt  keep  alive  the  flame 

Of  Mother's  holy  light, 

To  send  it  forth  through  all  the  earth, 

To  spread  thy  truths  again. 

For  all  these  things  of  priceless  worth 

I  thank  thee,  God;  Amen. 

UNCHARTED 
By  Gene  Moore 

y  heart  is  a  valley;  my  heart  is  a  hill; 
must  take  time  to  explore  it  with 
skill. 
The  world  is  small  use  with  its  science  and 

art 
If  one  goes  around  it  neglecting  his  heart. 

ELLENORE 

By  Genneva  Dickey  Watson 

I  never  held  you  in  my  arms 
And  rocked  you  mother-wise 
I  never  sang  you  little  songs, 
Nor  kissed  your  sleepy  eyes; 

But,  oh,  my  baby,  once  I  dreamed 
With  you  beneath  my  heart, 

That  I  should  curl  your  wispy  hair, 
And  teach  you  woman-art. 

One  night  you  turned   and  slipped  away 
To  a  tenderer  love  than  mine, 

So  now  I  give  all  childhood 
The  love  you  made  divine. 

A  BIRTHDAY  THOUGHT 
By  Pansye  H.  Powell 

Cdme  days  are  gray; 

1   Some  days  are  gold. 
God  puts  them   all   together, 
For  every  day 
His  love  will  hold 
No  matter  what  the  weather. 


W™1 


ON  MOTHER'S  DAY 
By   Enola    Chamberlin 

She  did  not  smooth  the  Appian  Way; 
Construct  the  Chinese  Wall; 
Nor  make  a  dangerous  survey 
To  chain  a  waterfall. 

She  did  not  hunt  the  buffalo, 

Nor  build  a  pyramid, 
Nor  find  America,  but,  oh, 

She  bore  the  men  who  did! 

HEADLAND  OAK 

By  Richard  F.  Armknecht 

One  tree  upon  the  headland,  one 
Lone  oak  where  never  oak   should   be. 
A  difficult  phenomenon 

To   riddle   out.     This  ancient  tree, 
Bent   landward   in   a  ragged  plume, 

Has  dropped   its  acorn  in  their  season 
These  many  years.     The  bitter  doom 

Of  sterile  soil  is  ample  reason 
Not  one  had  grown.     But  why  and  how 

Came  this  one  tree,  the  first,  the   last, 
Whose   bole    and    branch   forever   bow 

Before   the   stubborn   sea   wind's   blast? 
I  can't  explain  it,  nor  can  you, 

But  if  some   reason  must  be  guessed 
Perhaps  it  lies  in  one  small  clue — 

Each  year  it  has  a  bluebird's  nest. 

MY  MOTHER'S  HANDS 
By  Geri  Materkowski 

My  mother's  hands  are  artist's  hands, 
They  work  in  patience  and  in  faith 
In  their  artistry  genius  fades; 
Before  their  tasks  strong  men  would  quake. 

They   are   not  slim  hands,  mother's   hands. 
Nor  white,  nor  petal  smooth, 
But,  oh,  the  pain  they've  pressed  away 
And,  oh,  the  fears  they've  soothed. 

My  mother's  hands  are  artist's  hands. 
You  see  it  when  they  pray. 
They've  taken   babes   and   moulded   men 
And  set  them  in  the  Godly  way. 

OLD  LADY  TALKING 

By  Christie  Lund  Coles 

I  had  not  meant  to  pause  at  all, 

Except  to  speak,  to  pass  the  time  of  day, 
Smiling  a  little  pityingly, 
For  what  was  there  she  could  have  to  say? 

I  had  not  counted  on  her  eyes, 

With   a  hunger   like   a  child's   for  bread; 

And  surely  I  was  not  prepared 

For  the  swift,  nostalgic  words  she  said. 

Quickly  as  a  summer  storm  they  came, 
The  words,  the  details  of  her  years, 
Her  youth,  not   too  unlike  my  own, 
Her  flowered  hopes,  her  laughter,  tears. 

My  hours  were  full.     I  should  not  stay. 
And  yet,  her  day  was  strangely  drear. 
And  someday,  I  may  listen  to  the  past 
And  wait  and  wait  for  someone  who  will 
hear. 

THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


^xi>£?Sv552?53;;5vi>S& 


Some  Thoughts  on  the  Social 
Problems  of  Young  People 


by  President  David  O.  McKay 


. 


IT  is  the  duty  of  every  citizen  to  see  to  it  that 
our   children    have   a   wholesome   community 
environment    in    which    to    live    during    their 
tender  and  impressive  years. 

I  think  it  is  a  tragedy  to  have  young  girls  and 
young  boys  grow  up  without  opportunity  of  social 
activity  under  the  proper  environment,  and  recrea- 
tion halls  should  be  dedicated  as  fitting  places 
for  these  young  folk  to  come  and  meet  one  an- 
other, to  participate  in  dancing,  in  the  drama,  in 
music,  and  in  other  activities  that  offer  oppor- 
tunity for  development  to  our  boys  and  girls. 

Some  of  our  girls  come,  properly  chaperoned, 
but  they  do  not  have  the  opportunity  to  partici- 
pate in  the  dances.  The  recreation  hall  should  be 
a  place  for  cordiality  where  all  young  people  may 
have  an  opportunity  to  mingle  and  to  meet  their 
mates.  That  means  something  in  this  day  of 
divorces  due  to  hasty  marriages  where  they  do 
not  understand  each  other. 

Youth  is  the  happy  time  of  life;  their  hearts 
are  hopeful.  It  is  our  duty  to  see  that  those 
hopes  are  realized. 

In  this  matter  of  chaperonage,  there  is  too  much 
laxity  on  the  part  of  the  parents. 

It  is  a  dangerous  sin,  when  home  discipline 
breaks  down,  and  the  loving  advice  of  a  wise 
father  and  a  loving  mother  is  defied.  We  are  told 
by  an  elderly  American  explorer  that  among  the 
Iroquois  Indians,  the  "crime  which  is  regarded 
as  most  horrible,  and  which  is  without  example,  is 
that    a    son    should    be    rebellious    toward    his 


mother" — an  ideal  that  might  be  well  cherished 
today  among  men  who  esteem  themselves  high 
in  the  scale  of  civilization. 


If  we  are  sincere  in  our  desire  to  reduce  de- 
linquencey  among  youth,  let  us  look  to  ourselves 
as  members  of  the  community  and  as  leaders  and 
officials  in  civic  circles. 

With  the  sensationalism  and  artificial  stimula- 
tion to  which  the  child  of  today  is  subjected  in 
this  age  of  mechanical  wonders,  it  is  of  the  gravest 
importance  that  society  realize  that  it  is  only  in 
the  example  of  sincere  living  upon  the  part  of  the 
individual  members  of  society  that  the  child  finds 
a  dynamic  impulse  for  his  own  wholesome  devel- 
opment. 

Young  men  and  women  sometimes  yield  to  in- 
dulgence for  the  sake  of  popularity.  He  who  per- 
sistently bids  for  popularity  at  the  expense  of 
health  and  character  is  a  foolish  man.  "A  man 
who  stands  behind  a  bar  and  swallows  drink  after 
drink  for  the  sake  of  sociability  is  paying  a  high 
price  for  a  miserable  product.  Social  popularity 
purchased  in  such  a  way  and  at  such  a  price  is 
not  good  enough  for  an  honest  man  to  wipe  his 
feet  upon."  Indeed,  men  who  yield  to  tempta- 
tion to  seek  popularity  among  friends  lose  the 
very  thing  they  desire,  while  the  boy  who  main- 
tains his  standards  wins  their  respect. 

We  need  not  shut  our  eyes  to  the  fact  that 
too  many  of  our  young  folk  respond  to  the  call 
of  the  physical  because  it  seems  the  easy  and 
natural  things  to  do.  Too  many  are  vainly  seek- 
ing short  cuts  to  happiness.     It  should  always  be 

{Concluded  on  following  page) 


vCV?vCNCV?sCV^<^CV^y>OCN^^ 


MAY  1955 


^e  Fdi tor's  Pap? 

C3  30i 


THE  EDITOR'S  PAGE 


(Concluded  from  preceding  page) 
kept  in  mind  that  that  which  is  most  worth  while  in 
life  requires  strenuous  effort. 


I  never  hear  one  of  our  brethren  bear  testimony  to 
to  the  divinity  of  this  work,  without  feeling  that  the 
strength  and  growth  of  character  depends  upon  a  life 
consistent  with  that  testimony;  and  it  makes  character 
to  live  in  harmony  with  man's  ideals,  or  at  least  to 
strive  to  live  in  harmonv  with  them. 

I  can  illustrate  what  I  mean  by  relating  an  incident 
concerning  two  of  our  boys  at  college.  They  had  been 
taught  that,  next  to  life  itself,  they  should  cherish 
chastity. 

One  of  these  boys  noticed  that  there  was  a  laxity 
among  his  classmates,  and  after  a  few  months  at  col- 
lege, he  partook  of  a  different  spirit  from  the  one  he  had 
in  his  home,  and  one  night  he  said  to  his  companion, 
who  was  older  than  he,  "I  am  going  out  tonight  with 
those  fellows." 

"Well,  you'd  better  not,"  said  his  companion. 

"Oh,"  he  said,  "I  don't  know!  Those  fellows  have  a 
good  time,  take  their  wine,  have  their  cigarets  and  their 


cigars;  they  enjoy  themselves;  and  here  we  are  restrained. 
They  get  their  lessons;  they  are  doing  just  as  well  in 
college  as  we  are;  and  I  am  going  out  with  them.  I 
am  not  so  sure  that  our  ideals  are  necessary,  anyhow." 

The  older  one  walked  up,  put  his  hand  on  his  com- 
panion's shoulder,  and  said,  "Those  boys  may  be  getting 
along  all  Hght  in  school,  and  do  these  things  to  which 
you  refer;  but  you  can't." 

"Why?" 

"Because  you  know  better.  And  once  you  break 
through  that  ideal,  your  character  is  broken." 

It  was  the  best  lesson  he  learned  in  college,  and  I  am 
very  glad  that  he  learned  it  and  lived  it. 


What  our  young  people  need,  what  every  man  and 
every  woman  in  this  world  need  in  order  to  keep  himself 
or  herself  free  and  unspotted  from  the  sins  of  the  world 
is  the  power  of  self-mastery.  Each  individual  should 
studiously  practise  self-control.  It  does  not  come  all  at 
once.  Nature  never  makes  cash  payments  as  a  whole, 
says  William  George  Jordan.  Her  payments  are  always 
made  in  small  instalments.  Those  who  desire  to  win 
self-mastery  must  do  it  by  constant  application. 


by  Joseph  Fielding  Smith 

PRESIDENT  OF  THE  COUNCIL  OF  THE  TWELVE 


Card  Playing  and  Games  of  Chance 


"For  some  time  I  have  had  a  very  serious 
question  on  my  mind.  It  is  in  regard  to 
the  playing  of  card  games.  Is  it  a  sin  to  play  cards  or 
join  card  clubs?  I  am  a  returned  missionary  and  have 
thought  that  there  was  nothing  but  evil  coming  from 
playing  card  games  and  joining  card  clubs.  Some  of  my 
friends  think  I  am  very  foolish  in  holding  such  a  belief, 
but  still  I  do  not  wish  to  join  them  in  doing  such  a  thing 
if  it  is  considered  wrong  and  not  approved  by  the 
Church." 

Nothing  good  comes  out  of  card  games 
or  games  of  chance.  There  are  numerous 
ways  in  which  we  may  obtain  wholesome  amusement 
and  recreation  which  is  beneficial  to  both  body  and 
mind.  In  games  where  cards  are  used  usually  "stakes" 
are  played  for,  and  betting  is  done.  Someone  will  ob- 
tain the  "stakes,"  but  no  one  really  wins,  for  the  one 
who  obtains  the  "stakes"  has  lost  part  of  his  manhood 

302 


which  is  difficult  to  regain.  There  seems  to  be  an  urge 
in  human  nature  which  leads  many  men  and  women  to 
seek  to  obtain  something  for  nothing,  and  many  have 
risked  their  hard-earned  substance  on  the  altar  of  chance, 
hoping  to  win  a  fortune  which  they  have  not  earned. 
There  is  a  lure  in  all  games  of  chance  which  Satan 
places  before  them,  and  in  their  greed  or  selfish  desire 
for  gain  they  take  the  uncertain  bait  far  less  innocently 
than  does  a  fish  which  grabs  the  angler's  hook. 

The  regular  standard  playing  cards  are  used  in  gam- 
bling games.  They  are  found  in  questionable  resorts  and 
gambling  dens.  Young  people  who  have  learned  to  play 
the  games  in  their  own  homes  or  at  card  clubs  with  in- 
nocent  intent  too  frequently  are  lured  into  questionable 
places  where  gambling  prevails.  Such  games  of  chance 
are  usually  associated  with  cigarets  and  beer  and  those 
who  indulge  in  cards  acquire  also  the  tobacco  and  drink- 
ing evils.  Card  playing  becomes  a  habit  just  as  much 
as  smoking  and  drinking.      I  remember  a   neighbor  of 

THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


mine  who  in  his  earlier  days  was  addicted  to  gambling. 
Later  in  his  life  he  repented  and  joined  the  Church.  One 
day  before  a  group  of  which  I  was  a  member,  he  em- 
phatically impressed  upon  our  minds  the  fact  that 
gambling  is  a  disease  which  fastens  itself  upon  those  who 
indulge  so  tenaciously  that  they  seldom  quit.  Its  influ- 
ence upon  character  is  just  the  same  as  the  use  of  tobacco 
and  strong  drink.  He  advised  all  to  shun  all  card  play- 
ing and  games  of  chance  lest  the  habit  would  destroy 
them. 

Card  playing  and  all  other  games  of  chance  should  be 
avoided  as  the  gate  of  destruction.  All  such  practices 
have  been  discountenanced  by  the  authorities  of  the 
Church  from  the  beginning  of  our  history.  When  the 
Mormon  Battalion  was  called  into  the  service  of  the 
country,  President  Brigham  Young  addressed  the  volun- 
teers and  said  that  he  wished  them  to  prove  themselves 
to  be  the  best  soldiers  in  the  service  of  the  United  States. 
He  admonished  the  captains  to  be  fathers  to  the  men  in 
their  companies  and  to  manage  the  officers  and  men  by 
the  power  of  the  priesthood.  They  should  keep  them- 
selves clean,  teach  chastity  and  gentility.  There  was  to 
to  be  no  swearing,  and  no  man  was  to  be  insulted.  They 
were  to  avoid  contention  with  Missourians — their  ene- 
mies— and  all  other  persons.  They  were  to  take  their 
Bibles  and  copies  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  with  them  and 
study  them  but  not  impose  their  beliefs  on  others.  They 
were  to  avoid  card  playing,  and  if  they  had  cards  with 
them,  they  were  to  burn  them.  If  they  would  follow 
this  instruction,  he  promised  them  that  they  would  not 
be  called  on  to  shed  the  blood  of  their  fellow  men. 

President  Joseph  F.  Smith  has  given  this  wholesome 
advice: 

"While  a  simple  game  of  cards  in  itself  may  be  harm- 
less, it  is  a  fact  that  by  immoderate  repetition  it  ends 
in  an  infatuation  for  chance  schemes,  in  habits  of  excess, 
in  waste  of  precious  time,  in  dulling  and  stupor  of  the 
mind,  and  in  the  complete  destruction  of  religious  feel- 
ing. These  are  serious  results,  evils  that  should  and 
must  be  avoided  by  the  Latter-day  Saints.  Then  again, 
there  is  a  grave  danger  that  lurks  in  persistent  card 
playing,  which  begets  the  spirit  of  gambling,  of  specula- 
tion and  what  awakens  the  dangerous  desire  to  get 
something  for  nothing."  (Gospel  Doctrine,  p.  412.) 

"Card  playing  is  an  excessive  pleasure;  it  is  intoxicat- 
ing, and  therefore,  in  the  nature  of  a  vice.  It  is  natural- 
ly the  companion  of  the  cigaret  and  the  wine  glass, 
and  the  latter  leads  to  the  poolroom  and  the  gambling 
hall.  Few  men  and  women  indulge  in  the  dangerous 
pastime  of  the  card  table  without  compromising  their 
business   affairs   and  the  higher  responsibilities   of   life. 


Tell  me  what  amusements  you  like  best  and  whether 
your  amusements  have  been  a  ruling  passion  in  your 
life,  and  I  will  tell  you  what  you  are.  Few  indulge 
frequently  in  card  playing  in  whose  lives  it  does  not 
become  a  ruling  passion."  (Juvenile  Instructor,  Vol.  38, 
p.  529.) 

The  Lord  said: 

"A  good  man  out  of  the  good  treasure  of  the  heart 
bringeth  forth  good  things:  and  an  evil  man  out  of  the 
evil  treasure  bringeth  forth  evil  things. 

"But  I  say  unto  you,  That  every  idle  word  that  men 
shall  speak,  they  shall  give  account  thereof  in  the  day 
of  judgment. 

"For  by  thy  words  thou  shalt  be  justified,  and  by  thy 
words  thou  shalt  be  condemned."  (Matt.  12:35-37.) 

This  being  true  of  words  that  are  idle,  may  we  not 
say  that  idle  acts  spent  in  evil  practices  will  merit  the 
same  reward? 

This  does  not  mean  that  the  Lord  frowns  on  inno- 
cent amusement  and  the  time  spent  in  wholesome  games. 
The  human  body  needs  relaxation,  and  this  can  be  ob- 
tained in  a  legitimate  way.  For  this  purpose  in  part  the 
Mutual  Improvement  Associations  have  been  organized 
where  proper  forms  of  amusement  and  entertainment 
may  be  taught,  and  thereby  the  body  strengthened  and 
the  mind  quickened  and  developed.  In  one  of  the  dark- 
est hours  in  the  history  of  the  Church,  when  the  weary 
members  were  crossing  the  plains  having  been  driven 
from  their  homes,  the  Lord  through  President  Brigham 
Young  said  to  them: 

"If  thou  art  merry,  praise  the  Lord  with  singing,  with 
music,  with  dancing,  and  with  a  prayer  of  praise  and 
thanksgiving. 

"If  thou  art  sorrowful,  call  on  the  Lord  thy  God  with 
supplication,  that  your  souls  may  be  joyful."  (D.  &  C. 
136:28-29.) 

The  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  engaged  in  manly  sports 
on  the  few  occasions  that  came  to  him.  President 
Brigham  Young  and  his  brethren  built  the  Salt  Lake 
Theatre  and  the  Social  Hall.  The  drama,  the  dance, 
and  other  entertainments  were  given  to  the  members  of 
the  Church,  and  by  this  means  they  were  edified  and 
strengthened;  all  such  entertainments  were  opened  and 
closed  with  prayer.  The  auxiliary  organizations  en- 
courage athletic  contests  and  sports  under  proper  super- 
vision and  regulations.  Our  people  are  encouraged,  not 
curtailed,  in  every  kind  of  needful  recreation  and  amuse- 
ment; but  all  things  which  the  world  seeks,  leading 
to  evil,  such  as  card  playing,  raffling,  and  indulging  in 
playing  machines  of  chance,  are  frowned  upon  as  de- 
structive of  morals  and  abiding  faith  in  that  which  is 
just  and  true. 


— Hal   Rumel  Photo 


MAY  1955 


303 


EDITOR'S  NOTE 

From  March  1,  to  March  5,  1955 
the  first  all-Church  Junior  Basket- 
ball tournament  was  played  at 
Deseret  Gymnasium  in  Salt  Lake 
City.  Twenty-four  of  the  1027 
teams  registered  in  the  Church  at 
the  beginning  of  play  last  fall  saw 
action    in   this   tournament. 

This  is  how  the  teams  finished 
in  the  tournament:  1.  Compton 
First  (California) ;  2.  Pocatello 
Eleventh  (Idaho);  3.  Edgehill  (Salt 
Lake  City);  4.  Las  Vegas  (Nevada); 

5.  Garden  Park    (Salt  Lake   City) ; 

6.  Grant   Third    (Salt   Lake   City) ; 

7.  Tremonton  Third  (Utah) ;  8. 
Holladay  Fourth  (Salt  Lake  City) ; 
9.  Layton  Fifth  (Utah);  10.  Idaho 
Falls    Thirteenth    (Idaho). 

Garden  Park  was  awarded  the 
sportsmanship  trophy;  Grant  Third 
won  the  consolation  position. 

This  article  is  based  on  a  talk 
given  by  Second  Assistant  General 
Superintendent  David  S.  King  of  the 
Young  Men's  Mutual  Improvement 
Association  to  the  seventeen-and- 
eighteen-year-old  members  of  the 
tournament  teams  at  their  devo- 
tional meeting  on  March  5. 


Know  ye  not  that  ye  are  the  temple 
of  God,  and  that  the  Spirit  of  God 
dwelleth  in  you? 

If  any  man  defile  the  temple  of 
God,  him  shall  God  destroy;  for  the 
temple  of  God  is  holy,  which  temple 
ye  are.   (1   Cor.  3:16-17.) 


Members  of  the  Compton  First  Ward  Junior  basketball  team,  after  winning  the  first 
all-Church  tournament.  First  row,  left  to  right:  Bob  Dalley,  Ben  McCabe,  Tory  Zim- 
merman, and  Bishop  Weldon  H.  Dalley.  Second  row:  F.  M.  Zimmerman,  president  of 
Long  Beach  (California)  Stake;  Terry  Paulos,  Bill  Reese,  Van  Peterson,  Karl  Weller,  and 
Homer  Bringhurst,  coach.  Back  row:  Ted  Paulos,  coach;  Rulon  Johnson,  Ralph  Brissen- 
den,  Bob  Scott,  and  Charles  Bledsoe,  stake  athletic  director. 


•  • 


•  •   • 


Keep  Fit.  Be  a  Man" 


by  David  S.  King 

SECOND  ASSISTANT  GENERAL  SUPERINTENDENT  YMMIA 


Recently  my  nine-year-old  son 
asked  me  to  help  him  build  a 
shield  to  use  in  a  Cub  Scout 
demonstration.  Together  we  found 
an  old  piece  of  plywood,  upon  which 
we  traced  the  shape  of  an  imposing 
shield.  After  cutting  it  out  and  trim- 
ming the  edges,  I  suggested  that  in 
order  to  make  it  really  authentic,  we 
ought  to  embellish  it  with  a  real  in- 
signia. A  lion — the  standing  lion 
with  forearms  outstretched — was  se- 
lected for  the  purpose.  Its  outlines 
were  traced  onto  the  shield.  A  cup 
full  of  papier-mache  was  cooked  up 
and  spread  onto  the  surface,  and 
carefully  shaped  and  molded  to  con- 
form to  the  outline  of  our  stirring 
little  emblem.  The  shield  was  then 
sprayed  with  silver  paint;  the  lion 
was  painted  red;  handles  were  added, 
and  lo,  we  had  a  shield  that  would 
have  stirred  the  heart  of  the  most 
fastidious  knight  that  ever  trod  the 
ancients  paths  of  chivalry. 

As  I  handed  the  finished  shield  to 
my  son,  I  laughingly  reminded  him, 
but   with   some   seriousness,   that   he 

304 


had  no  right  to  bear  it  unless  he  was 
willing  to  show  forth  the  same  quali- 
ties as  those  possessed  by  the  lion 
which  he  had  selected  as  his  emblem. 
In  ancient  days  the  noblest  of  the 
warriors  selected  coats  of  arms  which 
would  embody  those  outstanding 
qualities  which  appealed  to  them 
most.  The  lion  was  chosen  for 
strength  and  courage;  the  leopard  for 
cunning  and  ferocity;  and  the  eagle 
for  loftiness  and  nobility. 

I  also  explained  to  my  son  that  the 
knight  of  old  went  forth  to  battle 
completely  encased  in  armor.  The 
helmet  protected  his  head  and  neck; 
the  breastplate  and  backpiece  pro- 
tected his  trunk  and  organs;  the 
greaves  protected  his  limbs;  and  the 
gauntlets  gave  protection  to  his  hands. 
The  shield,  broadsword,  and  spear 
completed  his  accoutrement,  and  he 
was  then  ready  for  battle.  Thus 
armed,  he  was  protected  from  the 
front  and  the  rear  and  could  easily 
defend  himself  against  a  hundred 
unarmed  men. 

Today,  life  is  not  much  easier  on 


us  than  it  was  on  the  warrior  knights 
of  old.  As  you  young  men  walk  out 
of  this  building,  today,  you  will  find 
enemies  everywhere  trying  to  destroy 
you.  It  is  true  that  you  will  not  be 
stuck  in  the  back  by  a  barbed  arrow 
nor  a  murderous  long-pike,  but  you 
will  be  assaulted  by  cunning  and 
wicked  advertising  —  by  insidious 
pressures  brought  on  you  by  age-old 
temptations;  and  by  clever,  and  beau- 
tiful commercial  productions  designed 
to  fill  your  mind  with  trash  and  evil. 
These  enemies,  intangible  though 
they  may  be,  can  effectively  destroy 
your  strength,  rob  you  of  your  man- 
hood, and  kill  your  power  to  resist. 

But  God  has  not  left  you  without 
protection.  Armor  has  been  furnished 
to  protect  you  from  both  front  and 
back.  It  is  real,  tough  armor,  and 
no  evil  can  penetrate  it. 

Paul  was  referring  to  this  armor 
when,  in  writing  to  the  Ephesians, 
he  said: 

Put  on  the  whole  armour  of  God,  that 
ye  may  be  able  to  stand  against  the  wiles 
of  the  devil.  *   *   * 

THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


Stand  therefore,  having  your  loins  girt 
about  with  truth,  and  having  on  the  breast- 
plate of  righteousness; 

And  your  feet  shod  with  the  preparation 
of  the  gospel  of  peace; 

Above  all,  taking  the  shield  of  faith, 
wherewith  ye  shall  be  able  to  quench  all 
the  fiery  darts  of  the  wicked. 

And  take  the  helmet  of  salvation,  and 
the  sword  of  the  Spirit,  which  is  the  word 
of  God.  (Eph.  6:11,  14-17.) 

That  is  the  armor  of  the  modern 
knight  who  bears  the  priesthood  of 
the  Lord:  righteousness,  faith,  truth, 
a  peaceful  purpose,  and  the  word  of 
God.  Your  armor  is  your  own  vir- 
tue, your  power  to  resist  temptation, 
your  right  to  approach  the  throne  of 
God  at  any  period  in  your  life,  to 
ask  for  necessary  strength.  Such 
spiritual  armor  as  this,  if  worn 
properly,  will  give  the  soul  complete 
protection  and  perfect  coverage. 

In  the  north  woods,  packs  of  raven- 
ous wolves  descend  upon  herds  of 
reindeer  to  feed  themselves.  Attack 
is  rarely  made  on  the  healthy,  strong, 
and  vigorous  ones.  Invariably  the 
marauders  slink  in  the  shadows  until 
they  can  spot  a  straggler — some  lone 
deer  rendered  feeble  by  disease  or 
old  age.  This  miserable  specimen  is 
quickly  destroyed. 

And  so  the  forces  of  evil,  the  forces 
that  destroy  man — invariably  attack 
the  stragglers — they  attack  those  who 
have  been  rendered  spiritually  and 
morally  weak  by  enfeebling  dissipa- 
tion or  by  violation  of  the  laws  of 
life.  But  those  who  wear  as  the 
armor  of  their  salvation  the  breast- 
plate of  righteousness,  the  shield  of 
faith,  and  the  sword  of  the  spirit,  will 
never  be  stragglers  in  the  battle  of 
life.  The  desolation  of  sin  will  pass 
them  by.  Unlimited  strength  and  re- 
sistance will  flow  unto  them,  to  the 
overpowering  of  all  their  foes. 

Referring  again,  for  a  moment,  to 
Paul's  statement  that  each  of  us  is  a 
temple  of  God,  I  wonder  whether  you 
realize  how  marvelous  and  how 
beautiful  the  human  body  is.  Eugene 
Sandow,  when  a  sickly  lad  of  thir- 
teen, visited  an  art  gallery  and  saw 
two  statues,  one  of  the  Greek  god 
Apollo,  and  the  other  of  the  Greek 
hero  Hercules.  So  enthralled  was  he 
with  what  he  saw  that  he  resolved 
to  develop  himself  to  the  peak  of 
physical  perfection.  Twenty  years 
later  he  was  recognized  as  one  of  the 
strongest  men  of  all  time. 

You  who  know  a  little  about  chem- 
istry or  physics  or  mechanical  engi- 
neering, well  know  that  all  of  the 
MAY  1955 


Garden  Park  team  receives  the  sportsmanship  trophy  from  Elder  A.  P.  Warnick, 
tournament  director.  Bishop  Hoyt  W.  Brewster  is  the  first  man  kneeling  at  the  left. 
Team  sponsor  is  Barbara  Cook. 


scientific  principles  taught  in  the 
laboratory,  and  many  not  taught  are 
involved  in  the  construction  of  the 
human  body.  Consider  the  intricacy 
of  the  skeleton  structure,  the  nervous 
system,  the  digestive  system,  the  cir- 
culatory system,  all  superimposed  on 
each  other — consider  all  of  your 
glands,  organs,  bones,  muscles,  liga- 
ments, and  a  multitude  of  unnamed, 
and  even  unknown  members,  all  com- 
bining to  give  you  a  sound,  serv- 
iceable body.  Its  intricacy  and 
complexity  is  such  that  after  four 
thousand  years  of  study,  the  body  is 
still  essentially  a  mystery  to  modern 
science. 

All  of  this  is  given  to  you  by  your 
Heavenly  Father — given  to  you  for 
your  use,  for  your  service,  and  for 
your  glory.    In  return,  God  has  asked 


Verl  F.  Scott,  advertising  director  of  "The 
Improvement  Era,"  gives  the  Era  Award  (a 
gold  watch)  to  Terry  Paulos  of  Compton 
First.  Terry  was  selected  as  the  most  valu- 
able player  of  the  tournament. 


you  but  one  thing,  and  that  is  that 
you  take  care  of  it — that  you  treat 
it  with  the  care,  the  respect  that  it 
deserves. 

Brethren,  learn  to  avoid  bad 
habits — chains  that  will  rob  you  of 
your  unrestrained  freedom  to  prog- 
ress throughout  this  life  and  the 
life  to  come. 

In  Hampton  Court,  England, 
there  are  several  massive  oak  trees 
with  trunks  of  enormous  girth.  In 
spite  of  their  size  and  apparent 
strength,  these  trees  are  slowly  dy- 
ing by  strangulation.  Years  ago 
tender  ivy  shoots  were  planted  at  the 
base  of  these  giants  and  were  allowed 
to  crawl  up  the  trunks.  Today,  this 
ivy  has  grown  so  luxuriantly,  and  has 
so  completely  enveloped  these  trees 
and  strangled  their  life  processes  that 
they  are  slowly  but  surely  dying. 
Who  would  have  thought  that  an 
innocent  little  tendril,  no  bigger 
around  than  a  twig,  could  kill  several 
tons  of  live  oak? 

Who  would  think  that  a  little  habit 
— uncontrolled — could  ruin  a  man? 

Several  years  ago  a  certain  man 
was  in  a  position  in  life  where  he 
appeared  to  have  everything  in  his 
favor  for  success.  He  was  intelligent. 
He  had  had  an  excellent  war  record 
and  had  risen  to  the  rank  of  captain. 
He  was  commanding  in  appearance 
and  not  without  sensitivity.  He  was 
definitely  not  a  bad  man.  But  he 
had  some  bad  habits.  His  social 
(Continued  on  page  334) 
305 


Oonirolliruj  the  Rasf 


■ 


by  Dr.  Hugh  Nibley 

BRIGHAM  YOUNG  UNIVERSITY 


Part  V 


F 


rom  Origen  on,  the 
fathers  insist  that  every  verse  of  the 
scripture  can  be  read  a  number  of 
different  ways,  an  arrangement  which 
Aquinas  aptly  describes  as  "conven- 
ient." If  a  passage  might  prove  em- 
barrassing taken  as  it  stands,  one  has 
only  to  read  it  in  some  other  "sense." 
Needless  to  say  the  sense  most  fre- 
quently objected  to  is  the  crass,  literal, 
historical  one — beneath  the  attention 
of  minds  devoted  to  the  contempla- 
tion of  higher  things.  In  the  fathers, 
according  to  Schanz,  "allegorical  arbi- 
trariness and  uncontrolled  whimsy 
run  riot,"  expressing  themselves  in  the 
scholia,  the  homily,  and  the  commen- 
tary.82 

In  our  own  day,  both  for  Catholics 
and  Protestants,  this  lavish  control 
has  boiled  down  to  a  much  simpler 
double  bookkeeping,  in  which,  ac- 
cording to  Professor  Pfeirfer,  one  must 
"distinguish  sharply  between  true 
facts  and  true  doctrine.  .  .  .  That  the 
point  of  view  of  science  and  faith 
should  be  kept  distinct  is  admitted 
by  a  historian  who  is  a  Roman  Cath- 
olic priest,  G.  Ricciotti,  when  he 
recognized  that  exegetically  'the  sun 
stood  still  and  the  moon  stayed'  at 
Gibeon  in  a  literal  sense,  but  that 
scientifically  'there  was  no  real  astro- 
nomical perturbation.'  "83  So,  the  sun 
stood  still  literally  but  not  astro- 
nomically. 

306 


What  if  Constantine  only  saw  a 
sundog  and  not  a  vision  of  the  cross? 
This  simply  proves  for  Father  Bligh 
"that  the  value  of  a  confession  is  not 
determined  by  the  rational  sufficiency 
of  the  motives  that  produced  its  first 
steps,"  and,  "what  is  true  for  the 
Emperor  is  true  for  those  who  imi- 
tated him."84  Which  is  another  way 
of  saying  that  though  Constantine 
did  not  have  a  vision  at  all,  it  is  just 
the  same  as  if  he  did  since  in  the  end 
he  became  converted. 

Peter  the  Lombard,  more  bound  by 
literal  mindedness,  when  he  finds  the 
Bible  in  conflict  with  his  science,  falls 
back  on  the  principle  propounded  by 
Hilary:  "The  thing  must  not  be  sub- 
ject to  the  word,  but  the  word  to  the 
thing."85  That  sounds  reasonable 
enough:  but  when  the  word  is  the 
scripture  and  the  thing  is  one's  own 
limited  experience,  then  to  subject 
the  word  to  the  thing  is  to  interpret 
any  line  of  scripture  in  whatever  way 
suits  one's  predilections — and  as  such 
the  Lombard  makes  full  use  of  it. 
It  is  an  unlimited  license  to  control 
the  past.  It  is  the  boast  of  the  Catho- 
lic scholar  Schindler  that  the  scholas- 
tic philosophers  always  denounced 
lying.80  Of  course  they  did;  the  pur- 
pose of  their  art  was  to  make  it  un- 
necessary to  lie.  If  one  can  prove 
that  black  is  white  by  a  syllogism, 
why  should  one  be  guilty  of  blurting 
it  out,  unproven,  as  a  lie? 

The  ardent  Catholic  apologist, 
Arnold  Lunn,  recently  wrote:  "The 
Church  claims  that  her  credentials 
can  be  proved  from  certain  books  in 
the  Bible,  treating  them  as  purely 
human  documents.  The  Bible  con- 
sists of  a  series  of  books  selected  by 
the  Catholic  Church- — books  which 
the  Catholic  Church  claims  the  right 
to  interpret.  It  is  for  the  church  to 
say  where  the  Bible  records  objective 
facts  and  where  the  Bible  uses  meta- 
phor and  allegory."87  This  is  self- 
certification  with  a  vengeance:  the 
church  waves  before  us  certain  docu- 
ments which  she  claims  prove  her 
authority;   these   documents   she  has 


personally  selected,  but  even  so  they 
do  not  even  remotely  suggest  what 
she  claims  they  do  unless  they  be 
read  and  interpreted  in  a  very  special 
sense,  that  sense  being  carefully  pre- 
scribed— by  the  church!  Mr.  Lunn 
is  telling  us  in  effect  that  the  church 
has  a  perfect  right  to  control  the  past 
to  prove  its  holy  calling,  even  though 
the  only  proof  of  that  calling  is  the 
doctored  document  itself.  A  reading 
of  Denzinger  will  show  the  surpris- 
ing degree  to  which  the  reading  of 
the  scriptures  is  controlled  by  the 
Roman  church;  in  this  valuable  work 
the  extreme  nervousness  of  the  clergy 
about  letting  people  read  the  Bible 
for  themselves  or  in  their  own  lan- 
guages goes  hand  in  hand  with  the 
frequent  and  frank  admission,  that 
while  the  Bible  seems  to  swarm  with 
anti-Catholic  material,  to  make  a  pro- 
Catholic  case  out  of  it  requires  the 
labor  of  trained  specialists  equipped 
with  highly  artificial  tools  of  inter- 
pretation.88 

When  in  1865  John  Henry  New- 
man was  consulted  by  a  friend  re- 
garding the  founding  of  a  Catholic 
historical  review  he  replied:  "Noth- 
ing would  be  better — but  who  would 
bear  it?  Unless  one  doctored  all  one's 
facts,  one  would  be  thought  a  bad 
Catholic."89  At  the  same  time  Du- 
chesne was  protesting  in  vain  to  his 
fellow  church  historians  "that  it  was 
contrary  to  a  sound  historical  meth- 
od to  insist  on  twisting  the  texts  to 
make  them  talk  like  Athanasius," 
that  is,  to  control  the  earlier  texts  in 
support  of  later  theology.90  In  oppos- 
ing this  Duchesne  was  bucking  the 
established  practice  of  centuries.  Ac- 
cording to  De  Wulf,  when  St.  Thomas 
Aquinas  wants  to  disagree  with  St. 
Augustine,  his  unfailing  guide  and 
mentor,  "he  does  not  contradict  him; 
he  does  not  consider  him  suspect  .  .  . 
instead  he  transforms  the  meaning 
of  his  statements,  sometimes  by  slight 
corrections,  sometimes  by  violent  in- 
terpretations which  do  violence  to  the 
text.  Von  Hertling  has  listed  some 
250  such  deliberately  falsified  cita- 
tions from  Augustine."91 

This  business  is  easily  justified 
among  religious  writers  by  the  law 
of  the  greater  good.  The  Moham- 
medan doctors  established  the  princi- 
ple that  anything  which  Mohammed 
would  have  said  could  be  safely  at- 
tributed to  him,  and  on  this  authority 
put  in  his  mouth  the  edict,  "What- 
ever is  in  agreement  with  this,  that 
THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


is  from  me,  whether  I  actually  said 
it  or  not."92 

What  makes  this  sort  of  high- 
handed control  possible  is  the  con- 
fiding of  all  interpretive  authority  in 
official,  appointed  bodies  of  experts, 
closed  corporations  of  professional 
clergy  that  may  not  be  challenged 
from  outside;  they  are  self-certified 
and  self-perpetuating.  Nowhere  have 
the  doctors  enjoyed  more  absolute  au- 
thority than  among  the  Jews,  whose 
awe  in  the  presence  of  formal  learn- 
ing is  just  this  side  of  idolatry;  what- 
ever a  clever  scholar  teaches,  accord- 
ing to  Rabbi  Joshua  ben  Levi,  is  to 
be  received  as  if  it  were  the  word  of 
God  spoken  to  Moses  himself  on 
Sinai!93 

By  closing  ranks  and  presenting  a 
proud  front  to  the  world  of  common 
men,  the  clergy  are  spared  the  pains 
of  ever  having  to  answer  back  to  the 
strong  arguments  against  their  con- 
trol of  the  past.  Any  who  refuse  to 
accept  their  verdict  are  by  that  very 
act  disgraced  and  disqualified.  As 
often  as  not  they  gain  the  support  of 
princes  and  potentates,  and  then  woe 
to   the   wretch  who   questions  them! 

When  the  immortal  Pascal,  one  of 
the  supremely  great  intellects  of  all 
time,  challenged  the  tricky  but  shal- 
low and  contradictory  arguments  of 
the  Jesuits,  they  put  him  in  his  place 
by  accusing  him  of  being  "a  brilliant 
farceur  without  'authority,'  a  lay 
theologian,  an  amateur  of  two  days' 
standing,  'the  ladies'  theologian,' ' 
and  the  like,  clinching  their  charges 
with  the  ultimate  condemnation  of  all 
upstarts:  "He  does  not  even  have  a 
doctor's  degree!"84  Thus  Lunn  an- 
nihilates one  who  dared  to  criticize 
the  matchless  double  talk  of  St. 
Liguori:  "The  poor  man  did  not  real- 
ize that  casuistry,  like  other  branches 
of  law,  has  its  technical  vocabulary 
and,  as  a  result,  he  made  a  very  com- 
plete fool  of  himself."  As  for  Pro- 
fessor Haldane,  though  he  quotes 
Aquinas  in  the  clearest  possible  terms, 
he  cannot  for  Mr.  Lunn  be  anything 
but  "uninstructed  and  amateurish."95 
This  is  the  last  and  favorite  resort  of 
the  clergy  when  they  are  questioned 
too  closely:  their  questioners  simply 
don't    understand;    they    are    "unin- 


structed and  amateurish."  "Unless 
you  accept  our  interpretation  of  the 
texts,"  the  layman  is  told,  "you  ob- 
viously do  not  understand  them.  And 
if  you  don't  understand  them,  you 
have  no  right  to  question  our  inter- 
pretation of  them!" 

And  so  the  layman  is  put  in  his 
place.  The  guarded  degree,  the  closed 
corporation,  the  technical  vocabulary, 
these  are  the  inner  redoubt,  the  in- 
violable stronghold  of  usurped  au- 
thority. Locked  safe  within  the 
massive  and  forbidding  walls  of  in- 
stitution and  formality  lies  what  the 
Egyptians  called  "the  King's  secret," 
the  secret  of  controlling  the  past. 


1. 


AS  FAR  AS  IT  IS  TRANSLATED 
CORRECTLY." 


After  all  has  been  said  about  the 
art  of  selecting,  censoring,  rewriting, 
and  interpreting  the  records  of  the 
past,  the  fact  remains  that  the  great- 
est opportunity  for  exercising  control 
over  the  documents  lies  not  in  these 
mechanical  chores  but  in  the  business 
of  translating  the  strange  and  un- 
familiar idioms  in  which  the  texts 
are  written.  As  Joseph  Smith  knew 
so  well,  next  to  revelation  it  is  lan- 
guage that  holds  the  key  to  the  past. 
This  key  is  worth  a  brief  examination 
here. 

The  writers  of  fantastic  fiction  often 
overlook  the  very  obvious.  We  have 
yet  to  learn  of  any  creation  of  theirs 
that  has  surpassed  in  boldness  of  con- 
ception or  economy  of  operation  that 
astounding  device  by  which  the  hu- 
man race  has  throughout  its  history 
been  able  to  preserve  the  very 
thoughts  of  men  and  transmit  them 
through  unlimited  expanses  of  time 
and  space.  Writing  is  a  thoroughly 
artificial  thing — no  more  a  product  of 
evolution  than  feathers  or  water  or 
algebra  are.  It  is  hard  to  believe  that 
the  first  systems  of  writing  that  arose 
almost  simultaneously  in  Egypt, 
Sumer,  Elam,  and  India  (all  these  cul- 
tures being  at  that  time  in  contact 
with  each  other)  were  each  invented 
independently  or  brought  forth  in  re- 
sponse to  the  needs  of  the  business 
world.96  For  though  writing  may 
have  been  suggested  by  such  useful 


mnemonic  devices  as  property  marks 
and  tallies,97  busy  practical  people 
have  always  got  along  supremely  well 
without  it.  Like  the  calendar — long 
supposed  to  have  been  the  invention 
of  farmers,  who  of  all  people  are  the 
least  dependent  on  the  fixed  and  rigid 
setting  of  days98— writing  is  only  use- 
ful in  everyday  life  because  everyday 
uses  have  been  found  for  it.  But 
the  businessman,  however  capable  he 
may  be  in  other  things,  often  becomes 
awkward  and  self-conscious  when  he 
tries  to  write  correctly,  embarrassing- 
ly aware  that  he  is  handling  a 
medium  that  is  strange  to  his  calling. 
Though  writing  is  as  old  as  history, 
practical  people  have  never  yet  got 
used  to  it,  but  like  the  generality  of 
mankind  have  persisted  in  viewing 
it  as  a  sort  of  magic,  an  affected  and 
artificial  thing,  an  ornamental  ac- 
complishment designed  for  ostenta- 
tion rather  than  for  use.  It  is  in- 
conceivable that  true  writing  was  ever 
devised  as  a  tool  for  these  people,  let 
alone  by  them.  The  really  marvelous 
things  that  writing  does,  the  astound- 
ing feats  of  thought-stimulation, 
thought-preservation,  and  thought- 
transmission  for  which  it  has  always 
been  valued  by  a  small  and  special- 
ized segment  of  society,  "the  scribes," 
are  of  no  interest  to  practical  people: 
business  records,  private  letters, 
school  exercises,  and  the  like  are 
periodically  consigned  to.  the  inciner- 
ator by  clerks  and  merchants  to  whom 
eternal  preservation  and  limitless 
transmission  mean  nothing.  The 
contents  of  such  documents  from  the 
beginning  show  a  complete  unaware- 
ness,  almost  a  visible  contempt,  for 
the  real  capabilities  and  uses  of  writ- 
ing. It  is  another  and  equally  an- 
cient type  of  document  that  knows 
how  to  prize  the  true  merit  of  the 
written  word,  and  it  is  easy  to  sur- 
mise that  this  wonderful  device  came 
to  the  human  family  as  a  gift  from 
parties  unknown  whose  intent  was 
that  it  should  assist  the  race  in  a  sort 
of  cosmic  bookkeeping.  At  any  rate,, 
that  actually  is  the  principal  use  to 
which  the  instrument  has  been  put 
since  the  beginning  of  that  history 
which    it    alone   has    made    possible. 

(Continued  on  following  page) 


MAY  1955 


307 


CONTROLLING  THE  PAST 


(Continued  from  preceding  page) 

One  might  as  well  argue  that  the 
brace  and  bit  was  invented  as  a  crude 
tool  for  scratching  leather  and  later 
discovered  to  be  useful  for  boring 
holes  in  wood  as  to  maintain  that 
writing  was  conceived  as  a  means  of 
keeping  track  of  heads  of  beef  and 
measures  of  grain  by  people  who 
later  discovered  that  far  more  won- 
derful and  significant  things  could  be 
done  with  it.  The  Great  Seal  of 
England  can  be  used  to  crack  nuts 
with — a  simple,  practical,  primitive 
operation,  suggesting  a  very  plausible 
origin — but  it  also  has  other  uses. 
The  earliest  uses  of  writing  for  the 
keeping  of  accounts  are  in  temple 
records,  sacred  things;  and  right  along 
with  them  go  the  ritual  texts,  with 
an  equal  claim  to  antiquity  and  a 
far  greater  claim  to  the  attention  of 
those  priests  who  have  always  been 
the  peculiar  custodians  of  the  written 
word.  From  the  beginning  the  writ- 
ten words  were  the  divine  words,  the 
mdw  ntr." 

To  state  it  briefly,  we  find  writing 
from  the  first  used  for  two  kinds  of 
bookkeeping:  for  terrestrial  business 
it  is  not  really  necessary — in  fact, 
such  masters  of  this  field  as  Commo- 
dore Vanderbilt  found  themselves 
better  off  without  it;  but  for  celestial 
business  it  is  indispensable.  Which, 
then,  is  the  more  likely  to  have  pro- 
duced it?  Every  indication  points 
to  the  temple. 

And  what  an  instrument!  By  its 
operation  we  know  not  only  what 
men  saw  and  heard  and  did  and 
said  three  and  four  thousand  years 
ago,  but  actually  what  they  also 
thought  and  felt.  The  most  delicate 
nuances  and  fleeting  impulses  of  the 
mind  have  outlasted  the  enormous 
Cyclopean  foundations  of  world-ruling 
cities,  and  where  twenty-ton  blocks 
may  have  vanished  without  a  trace, 
the  dreams,  hopes,  and  surmises  of 
the  fragile  people  who  lived  among 
them  remain  as  fresh  and  clear  as 
ever,  available  to  the  modern  world 
in  almost  embarrassing  abundance. 
Embarrassing,  because  this  inesti- 
mable treasure  lies  neglected,  even  by 
those  regiments  of  professional  hu- 
manists who  claim  to  be  its  custo- 
dians. 

The  cause  of  this  neglect  is  to  be 
found  in  the  peculiar  nature  of  the 
instrument.  Our  thought-transmis- 
sion machine  is  the  simple  and  eco- 

308 


nomical  apparatus  it  is  by  virtue  of 
being  at  the  same  time  an  exceeding- 
ly sensitive  one.  The  price  of  the 
thing  is  nominal  in  this  age  of  great 
libraries  and  microfilming,  but  its  ef- 
fectiveness depends  entirely  on  the 
skill  and  understanding  with  which 
it  is  operated.  True  writing  is  not 
picture  writing;  to  receive  its  mes- 
sage the  reader  himself  must  be  very 
specially  adjusted.  And  when  such 
a  reader  takes  it  upon  himself  to 
convey  to  others  the  words  of  the 
ancients,  he  himself  becomes  a  part 
of  the  transmission  machine — its  most 
vital  element,  in  fact.  As  far  as  the 
general  public  is  concerned,  the  ef- 
fectiveness of  the  miraculous  and  age- 
old  machine  for  thought-transmission 
depends  entirely  on  the  man  who  is 
operating  it. 

All  the  documents  of  antiquity 
without  exception  are  written  in  lan- 
guages that  no  one  speaks  today. 
What  an  opportunity  this  offers  for 
controlling  the  past!  In  the  field  of 
translation  the  scope  and  ambition 
of  operations  are  simply  staggering. 
The  ancient  writer  and  the  modern 
reader — producer  and  consumer  of 
history  respectively — are  alike  at  the 
mercy  of  a  tyrannical  middleman 
without  whose  express  permission  not 
one  word  can  be  conveyed  from  the 
past  to  the  present.  This  serious  situ- 
ation demands  a  moment's  attention. 
Let  us  consider  briefly  the  crippling 
disadvantages  of  trying  to  study 
church  history  through  the  medium 
of  translations. 

2.  The  Follies  of  Translation 

Folly  Number  One — Destroying 
the  Clues:  Every  page  of  any  ancient 
text  is  a  densely  compact,  all  but 
solid  mass  of  elaborately  interwoven 
clues.  No  two  people  react  the  same 
way  to  these  clues,  and  no  one  person 
reacts  the  same  way  to  them  twice. 
Yet  a  translation,  no  matter  how  good, 
is  only  one  man's  reaction  to  the 
clues  at  one  time  of  his  life.  The 
most  famous  and  successful  transla- 
tion in  the  English  language  is  Fitz- 
gerald's Rubaiyat.  Fitzgerald's,  not 
Omar  Khayyam's,  for  though  Fitz- 
gerald translated  the  whole  thing 
again  and  again,  producing  a  differ- 
ent Omar  each  time,  Fitzgerald  was 
never  satisfied  that  any  of  his  poems 
was  Omar's.  The  translator  is  like 
an  officious  detective  who  hands  us 


his  written  report  of  the  case  but  re- 
fuses to  let  us  see  the  evidence  for 
ourselves.  Granted  that  the  con- 
stable is  smarter  than  we  are  and 
more  experienced  at  his  business,  still 
we  want  to  see  the  clues  for  ourselves, 
for  in  them  lie  the  charm,  challenge, 
and  instruction  of  the  game.  In  the 
place  of  a  teeming,  living  complex  of 
hints  and  suggestions  which  is  the 
original  text  the  translator  gives  us, 
as  he  must,  only  a  limited  number  of 
certitudes — his  certitudes,  not  the  au- 
thor's— and  whatever  fails  to  attract 
his  attention  and  elicit  his  response 
is  left  unrecorded.  Thus  the  door  is 
closed  to  any  critical  study  of  any 
text  in  translation,  and  we  have  the 
well-known  dictum  that  the  com- 
pletest  critical  commentary  on  a  text 
is  a  translation  of  it,  or  in  other 
words,  that  a  translation  is  not  a 
text  at  all  but  only  a  commentary  on 
it:  after  the  translator  has  given  us 
his  views  there  is  nothing  more  to 
say.  He  places  before  us  his  own 
handiwork  from  which  all  possible 
interpretations  but  his  own  have  been 
removed. 

Folly  Number  Two — Opinions  for 
Evidence:  There  are  two  things  that 
no  translation  can  convey,  namely 
what  the  author  said  and  how  he  said 
it.  At  the  beginning  of  his  book  on 
the  translation  of  Greek  and  Latin, 
Wilamowitz-Moellendorf  gives  a  well- 
nigh  perfect  definition  of  a  transla- 
tion: "A  translation  is  a  statement 
in  the  translator's  own  words  of  what 
he  thinks  the  author  had  in  mind." 
He  cannot,  of  course,  state  what  the 
author  actually  had  in  mind,  for  only 
the  author  knows  that;  nor  can  he 
report  what  the  author  said  he  had 
in  mind,  for  the  author  has  already 
done  that;  he  can,  as  Wilamowitz 
assures  us,  only  tell  us  in  his  own 
language  what  he  thinks  the  author 
is  trying  to  convey. 

This  means  that  any  translation  is 
at  best  only  an  opinion — one  man's 
opinion  of  what  another  man  had  in 
mind.  Now  the  importance  of  an- 
cient documents  as  a  whole  lies  in 
their  value  as  evidence,  the  evidence 
on  which  we  must  build  the  whole 
story  of  the  human  race.  But  an 
opinion  is  not  evidence.  It  is  not  ad- 
missible in  the  court  of  scholarship 
for  the  same  reason  that  it  is  not 
admissible  in  a  court  of  law,  because 
it  always  contains  a  conclusion  of  the 

(Continued  on  page  364) 
THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


Genealogy 


Unlocking  the  Doors  to  Opportunity 


by  Eugenie  Daniels 


An  unusual 
night  scene 
of  the  Salt 
Lake  Temple. 


0 


ur  family  tree  grew  many  years 
before  I  even  knew  it  had  been 
planted.  The  phrases,  "keeping 
family  records,  hunting  genealogy, 
and  filling  out  pedigree  charts"  were 
familiar,  but  the  necessity  or  the 
fascination  of  doing  it  didn't  appeal  to 
me  until  I  was  in  my  twenties  and 
visiting  a  great-aunt  who  had  reared 
my  orphan  mother  and  brought  her 
to  Utah  where  she  joined  the  Church. 

I  had  lived  in  California  about 
fifteen  years  when  I  went  back  to 
Payson,  Utah,  to  visit  relatives.  While 
at  my  aunt's  home  I  noticed  several 
loose-leaf  books  on  a  table  and  won- 
dering about  them,  asked,  "Aunt  Mat- 
tie,  what  are  you  doing  with  all  those 
books?" 

After  her  explanation  I  became  in- 
terested and  a  half-hour  later  was 
"up  to  my  neck"  in  them.  Each 
book  contained  sheet  after  sheet  of 
my  ancestors'  history.  Each  sheet 
had  five  generations  of  ancestors. 
Later  I  began  making  copies  of  each 
sheet  pertaining  to  my  mother's  fam- 
ily. The  longer  I  read  and  wrote, 
the  more  interested  I  became.  I  did 
not  want  to  stop  when  my  husband 
came  to  take  me  home. 

Aunt  Mattie  taught  me  to  think 
back,  as  that  is  the  method  of  filling 
out  genealogy-history  sheets.  Each 
person  starts  with  his  or  her  name, 
then  fills  in  a  space  designated  for 
MAY  1955 


— Photograph   by  T.   Harold  Jacobsen 

his  father  and  mother's  name,  date  of 
birth,  date  of  marriage,  place  of  birth 
and  place  of  death.  Going  back,  the 
next  place  to  fill  out  has  increased  to 
four  spaces  because,  each  has  to  fill 
in  the  history  of  his  father's  parents 
(your  grandparents  on  his  side)  and 
his  mother's  father  and  mother 
(grandparents  on  her  side),  increas- 
ing eight  histories  like  doubling  a 
penny. 

After  reading  several  pages  I  dis- 
covered my  mother's  grandmother 
was  a  direct  descendant  of  Priscilla 
Mullins,  who  had  married  John 
Alden.  Priscilla's  daughter  was  Ruth 
Alden.  Her  daughter  was  Ruth  Bass, 
whose  daughter  Ruth  Webb  had  a 
daughter  Ruth  Faxon.  Ruth  Faxon 
named  her  daughter  Ruth  Locke. 

But  when  Ruth  Locke  married  and 
had  her  child,  it  was  a  boy  so  the 
family  name  of  Ruth  stopped,  and  the 
son  was  named  Albert  Faxon  Kapple, 
born  in  Dublin,  Ireland,  or  on  the 
ocean.  Albert  Faxon  Kapple,  some- 
times spelled  Capel,  met  and  married 
Corinnia  Simonds.  They  had  a  girl 
and  christened  her  Joanna  Kapple. 
She  married  Henrich  Franz  Friedrich, 
an  artist  from  Sulzheim,  Germany. 
He  changed  his  name  to  English, 
spelling  it  Henry  Fredericks.  They 
were  the  parents  of  my  mother,  Cora 
Corinnia  Fredericks. 

Sir  Robert  Arden  born  January  15, 


1484,  in  Warwickshire,  was  an  officer 
in  the  army  of  King  Henry  VIII  and 
a  remote  grandparent  of  mine  and 
also  a  great-grandparent  of  William 
Shakespeare.  Their  relationship  was 
as  follows: 

Sir  John  Alexander's  children  were, 
Henry,  May  11,  1510 — married  Grace 
Arden;  Mary,  Feb.  5,  1512 —  married 
(Grace's  brother)  Robert  Arden; 
Abigail,  June  6,  1515 — married  Rich- 
ard Shakesphere;  Agnes,  March  9, 
1522 — married  John  Hill,  a  doctor; 
he  died;  and  she  married  Mary's  hus- 
band, Robert  Arden. 

Mary's  daughter  married  Abigail's 
son  (cousin),  who  was  John  Shake- 
sphere.  They  were  the  parents  of 
William  Shakespeare,  the  playright. 

On  this  Webb  "limb"  its  branches 
went  back  to  the  year  1372.  From 
Sir  John  Alexander  Webb's  father, 
John  Webb,  born  July  9,  1450  to  his 
grandfather,  William  Webb,  John 
Webb,  Sr.,  and  Geoffrey  Webb  born 
April  12,  1372. 

Glancing  at  the  family  tree  as  a 
whole  the  name  Abigail,  a  few  genera- 
tions back,  was  as  common  as  Cathy, 
Sue,  and  Robin  are  today.  On  its 
limbs  were  Abigail -twigs  of  Baxter, 
Willis,  Saville,  Allen,  Locke,  Buell, 
Ames,  Noyes,  and  Shakespeare. 

The  oddest  names  were  Brother 
Paddy  of  Plymouth,  Massachussetts. 
Humility  Webb,  Experience  Bolter, 
Love  Simonds,  Ebenezar  Flagg,  Free- 
dom Stone,  wife  of  Deacon  John  Buell, 
II,  Abyah  Ingersol,  and  Cathrine 
Goode,  wife  of  Sir  Robert  Buell  of 
Chesterton. 

On  my  mother's  limb  of  the  family 
tree,  females  predominated.  She  was 
the  mother  of  four  daughters.  She 
had  only  one  brother,  and  her  sisters, 
with  the  exception  of  one,  had  only 
daughters. 

I  remember  reading  in  Macaulay's 
History  of  England,  "A  people  which 
takes  no  pride  in  the  noble  achieve- 
ment of  remote  ancestors,  will  never 
achieve  anything  worthy  to  be  re- 
membered with  pride  by  remote  de- 
scendants." 

(Continued  on  page  348) 
309 


Activities  in  Rirtland 

Chapter  III 


Martin  Harris  was  baptized  at 
Fayette  by  Oliver  Cowdery 
shortly  after  the  Church  was 
organized  (April  6,  1830).  Also  bap- 
tized at  the  same  time  were  the 
Prophet's  father  and  mother  and 
Orrin   Porter  Rockwell.1 

The  first  recorded  ordination  of 
Martin  Harris  to  an  office  in  the 
priesthood,  that  of  priest,  occurred  at 
the  first  conference  of  the  Church, 
held  at  Fayette,  June  9,  1830.  Joseph 
Smith,  Sr.,  and  Hyrum  Smith  were 
ordained  priests  at  the  same  confer- 
ence.2 

The  first  high  priests  were  ordained 
at  the  conference  held  at  Kirtland, 
June  3-6,  1831.  Among  those  or- 
dained high  priests  at  that  time  were 
the  Prophet's  father,  his  brother 
Hyrum,  and  Martin  Harris.  Martin 
was  ordained  under  the  hands  of 
Lyman  Wight.3 

During  the  summer  of  1831  Martin 
Harris  was  called  to  accompany  the 
Prophet  on  a  mission  to  Missouri.4 
The  missionaries  traveled  with  com- 
panions, and  Martin  was  paired  with 
Edward  Partridge.  Their  destination 
was  the  "land  of  our  inheritance, 
where  Zion  should  be  built."  Martin 
Harris  was  present  at  the  consecra- 
tion and  dedication  ceremonies  of 
the  land  of  Zion. 

On  August  3,  1831,  the  temple 
site  was  dedicated  by  Joseph  Smith. 
Present  also  were  Sidney  Rigdon,  Ed- 
ward Partridge,  W.  W.  Phelps,  Oliver 
Cowdery,  Martin  Harris,  and  Joseph 
Coe.  The  scene  was  solemn  and 
impressive.5 

During   this   same  month,   August 

Joseph  Fielding  Smith,  Essentials  in  Church  History 
(Salt  Lake   City,    1950),   p.   93. 

mid.,   p.    98. 

''■Ibid.,   p.    126. 

documentary  History  of  the  Church  (Salt  Lake 
City,    1927),   1:188. 

"Ibid.,   1:199. 


The  printing  press  on 
which  the  first  edition 
of  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon was  printed,  in 
1830. 

310 


1831,  Martin  Harris  was  the  first 
called  by  name  through  revelation  to 
obey  the  law  of  consecration  as  an 
example  to  the  church.  "It  is  wis- 
dom in  me  that  my  servant  Martin 
Harris  should  be  an  example  unto  the 
church,  in  laying  his  money  before 
the  bishop  of  the  church."  (D.  &  C. 
58:35.) 

It  is  said  he  obeyed  cheerfully. 

Returning  from  the  mission  to  Mis- 
souri, Martin  Harris  proceeded  to  es- 
tablish his  home  in  Kirtland,  which 


remained    his    permanent    residence 
until  he  went  to  Utah  in   1870. 

The  reputation  of  Martin  Harris 
and  the  esteem  in  which  he  was  held 
by  his  contemporaries  at  the  time  he 
moved  from  Palmyra  to  Kirtland,  is 
expressed  in  a  newspaper  article  pub- 
lished under  date  of  May  26,  1831, 
stating  that  Martin  Harris  was  one 
of  about  fifty  persons  to  move-  to 
Ohio.  It  went  on  to  say  that  his 
character  was  of  the  finest,  but  that 
his  large  circle  of  friends  pitied  him 


THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


for     his     delusions     in    joining     the  When  the  call  went  forth  asking 

Church.0  for  volunteers  to  go  to  Zion  to  the 

An  important  event  in  the  progress  succor  of  the  Saints  who  had  been 
of  the  Church  took  place  in  the  driven  from  Jackson  County>  Martin 
autumn  of  1831,  the  appointment  of  fiarris  was  amon§  the  first  to  offer 
a  body  of  stewards  over  the  revela-  ^1S  fe™es"  While  a  member  of 
tions  and  commandments.  This  group  Zion  s  CamP'  Martin  s  perverse  na- 
of  men,  of  which  Martin  Harris  was  Jure  was  agai*  revealed.  We  quote 
a  member,  was  assigned  the  responsi-  from  the  P™phet  s  journal  for  Mon- 
bility  of  managing  the  publication  day,  June  16,  1834: 
of  the  book  of  commandments  and 
revelations.7  The  vital  importance  of 
this  calling  was  emphasized  when  the 
Lord  warned  the  committee  of  stew- 
ards, "And  an  account  of  this  stew- 
ardship will  I  require  of  them  in  the 
day  of  judgment."  (D.  &  C.  70:4.) 

The  fundamental  significance  and 
true  worth  of  the  revelations  are 
forcefully  expressed  in  the  report  of 
Joseph  Smith: 

My  time  was  occupied  closely  in  review- 
ing the  commandments  and  sitting  in  con- 
ference for  nearly  two  weeks;  for  from  the 
first  to  the  twelfth  of  November  [1831]  we 
held  four  special  conferences.  In  the  last, 
which  was  held  at  Brother  Johnson's  in 
Hiram,  after  deliberate  consideration,  in 
consequence  of  the  book  of  revelations,  now 
to  be  printed,  being  the  foundation  of  the 
Church  in  these  last  days,  .  .  .  Therefore 
the  conference  voted  that  they  prize  the 
revelations  to  be  worth  to  the  Church  the 
riches  of  the  whole  earth,  speaking  temporal- 
ly. The  great  benefits  to  the  world  which 
result  from  the  Book  of  Mormon  and  the 
revelations  which  the  Lord  has  seen  fit  in 
His  infinite  wisdom  to  grant  unto  us  for 
our  salvation,  and  for  the  salvation  of  all 
that  will  believe,  were  duly  appreciated.8 

Martin  Harris  was  for  a  time  faith- 
ful and  energetic  in  the  performance 
of  his  duties  in  Kirtland.  However, 
as  early  as  the  beginning  of  1834,  a 
spirit  of  discontent  and  criticism  was 
made  manifest  in  his  attitude.  It  is 
recorded  that  during  January  1834 
Martin  Harris  was  hailed  before  the 
council  to  answer  charges  of  slander 
against  Joseph  Smith.8 

He  confessed  that  his  mind  was  dark- 
ened, and  that  he  had  said  many  things 
inadvertently,  calculated  to  wound  the  feel- 
ings of  his  brethren,  and  promised  to  do 
better.    The  council  forgave  him,  with  much 

good  advice.9 

• 

On  the  following  February  17, 
1834,  Martin  Harris  was  chosen  a 
member  of  the  first  high  council  to 
be  organized  in  this  dispensation.10 


"Painesville  (Ohio)  Telegraph,  cited  in  Francis  W. 
Kirkham,  A  New  Witness  for  Christ  in  America  (In- 
dependence,  Mo.    1942),   p.    168. 

7D.    H.    C,    op.    cit.,    1:236. 

flbid.,  1:235-236. 

Hbid.,    11:26. 

1072uJ.,   11:28;   D.   &  C.   102. 

MAY  1955 


Standing  near  Monument  to  Martin  Harris 
at  Clarkston,  Utah,  are  two  grandsons  of 
Martin  Harris.  (Left)  Walter  Harris  Davis, 
son  of  Julia,  daughter  of  Martin,  and  (right) 
Russell  King  Harris,  son  of  Martin,  Jr. 

[In  Zion's  Camp],  Martin  Harris  having 
boasted  to  the  brethren  that  he  could  han- 
dle snakes  with  perfect  safety,  while  fool- 
ing with  a  black  snake  with  his  bare  feet, 
he  received  a  bite  on  his  left  foot.  ...  I 
[Joseph  Smith]  took  occasion  to  reprove 
him,  and  exhort  the  brethren  never  to 
trifle  with  the  promises  of  God.  I  told 
them  that  it  was  presumptuous  for  anyone 
to  provoke  a  serpent  to  bite  him,  but  if 
a  man  of  God  was  accidentally  bitten  by 
a  poisonous  serpent,  he  might  have  faith, 
or  his  brethren  might  have  faith  for  him; 
so  that  the  Lord  would  hear  his  prayer 
and  he  might  be  healed;  but  when  a  man 
designedly  provokes  a  serpent  to  bite  him, 
the  principle  is  the  same  as  when  a  man 
drinks  deadly  poison,  knowing  it  to  be  such. 
In  that  case,  no  man  has  any  claim  on  the 
promises  of  God  to  be  healed.11 

As  early  as  June   1829,  the  Lord 


made  known  his  purpose,  as  of  old; 
to  select  Twelve  Apostles: 

And  now,  behold,  I  give  unto  you,  Oliver 
Cowdery,  and  also  unto  David  Whitmer, 
that  you  shall  search  out  the  Twelve,  who 
shall  have  the  desires  of  which  I  have 
spoken; 

And  by  their  desires  and  their  works  you 
shall  know  them.  (D.  &  C.  18:37-38.) 

The  Lord  then  set  forth  their  quali- 
fications and  duties. 

It  was  not  until  February  14,  1835, 
more  than  five  years  later,  that  this 
divine  command  was  complied  with. 
At  a  special  meeting  held  in  Kirtland 
on  this  date,  Joseph  Smith  announced 
that  he  had  been  commanded  of  the 
Lord  to  organize  the  Council  of  the 
Twelve,  who  would  constitute  a  body 
equal  in  authority  to  the  First  Presi- 
dency. All  members  of  Zion's  Camp 
who  could  be  reached  were  asked  to 
attend,  for  the  Twelve  were  to  be 
called  from  among  this  number.  To 
the  two  men  who  had  formerly  been 
named  by  revelation,  Joseph  Smith 
now  added  Martin  Harris,  and  com- 
missioned the  three  witnesses  to 
choose  and  ordain  the  first  members 
of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  in  this 
dispensation  to  instruct  them  in  the 
duties  of  their  new  calling.  Thus 
Martin  Harris  participated  in  this 
momentous  event.12  He  was  entrusted 
with  a  divine  mission  and  called  to 
fulfil  the  purposes  of  God. 

Martin  Harris  early  became  the 
confidant  of  the  Smith  family.  Joseph's 
mother,  who  was  nearer  Martin's  own 
age,  was  always  solicitous  of  his  wel- 
fare. She  writes,  "I  spoke  of  a  con- 
fidential friend,  to  whom  my  husband 
merely  mentioned  the  existence  of  the 
plates,  some  two  or  three  years  prior 
to  their  coming  forth.  This  was  none 
other  than  Martin  Harris,  one  of  the 
witnesses  to  the  book,  subsequent  to 
its  being  translated.13 

Joseph  Smith  himself  was  ever 
thoughtful  of  Martin  Harris.  Observe 
the  intimate  associations:  Martin  Har- 
ris was  baptized  at  the  same  time  as 
were  the  Prophet's  father  and  mother; 
he  was  ordained  a  high  priest  at  the 
same  time  as  were  the  Prophet's 
father  and  brother  Hyrum;  he  ac- 
companied Joseph  on  the  mission  to 
Missouri  and  was  present  at  the  dedi- 
cation of  the  temple  site.  History, 
in   fact,   records    numerous    instances 


™Ibid.,   11:95. 


™lbid.,    11:186-187. 

13Lucy   Mack   Smith,    History   of   the   Prophet   Joseph 
(revised   ed.   Salt  Lake   City    1902),    p.    109. 

(Continued  on  page  344) 
311 


For  a  prolonged  moment,  Mark 
with  his  wife,  Julia,  hesitated 
there  in  the  doorway  of  the  school 
auditorium.  Just  now,  he  knew,  he 
should  be  happy  because  Paula  was 
graduating;  happy  because  —  well 
happiness  was  supposed  to  go  with 
graduation  the  way  moon  rhymed 
with  June.  But  definitely  he  wasn't 
happy.  A  vague  melancholy  gripped 
his  soul. 

He  and  Julia  were  late,  as  usual. 
But  tonight  it  didn't  matter.  Re- 
served seats  awaited  in  the  honored 
place  for  parents,  seats  predestined 
for  them  since  the  day  they  acquired 
Paula.  He  took  the  offered  printed 
program,  and  they  followed  an  usher 
down  the  aisle.  Having  settled  Julia, 
he  sank  gratefully  into  his  pre- 
destined chair.  Why  make  such  a 
fuss  about  finishing  the  twelfth  grade? 
Why  didn't  they  hand  out  diplomas, 
as  they  did  report  cards,  and  be 
through  with  it? 

Casually  he  studied  his  program 
and  saw  that  Paula  would  sing  a 
closing  number.  Paula  lived  in  a 
world  of  song.  She  never,  oh  never, 
lived  in  the  prosaic  world  of  mathe- 
matics— that  world  she'd  bequeathed 
to  him  when  she  dumped  her  algebra 
literally  and  figuratively  into  his  lap. 

"Daddy,  it  says  here:  'Airplane  A 
takes  off  from  airport  X.'  Miss 
Humphreys  says.  .  .  ." 

To  no  one  in  particular  he'd 
growled,  "Miss  Humphreys!  Why 
doesn't  she  do  her  own  homework? 
If  I  had  my  way.  .  .  ." 

Of  course,  Paula  had  seen  that  he 
was  pretty  rusty  on  algebra  and,  to 
save  face,  he'd  lectured  her  about 
developing  initiative,  doing  her  own 
work.  Her  only  response  was, 
"Daddy!  You  want  me  to  graduate, 
don't  you?" 

And  so  Paula  was  graduating  or 
would  be  graduated  within  the  hour. 
School  dignitaries  now  were  filing  on- 
to the  stage.  Which  was  Miss 
Humphreys?  Undoubtedly  she  was 
the  elderly  woman  wearing  bifocals. 
No  other  creature  could  take  pleasure 
in  finding  out  how  long  it  took  air- 
plane A  to  overtake  airplane  B. 

Just  to  prove  his  judgment  sound, 
he  whispered  to  Julia.  "Which  one 
is  Miss  Humphreys?"  Julia,  a  devout 
member  of  P-TA  would  know. 

She  whispered  back,  "The  blond 
on  the  front  row,  the  one  in  the  blue 
faille  suit." 

Why,  Miss  Humphreys  was  little 
more  than  a  child  herself!    A  golden  - 

312 


haired  goddess:  living  proof  that 
sometimes  a  dream  can  be  practi- 
cal, practical  enough  to  own  a  math- 
ematical brain! 

Here  came  the  seniors,  marching 
single  file  up  the  aisle,  babes  in  som- 
ber caps  and  gowns,  step  by  step  ad- 
vancing. After  tonight,  they  would 
keep  walking.  Where?  Into  what? 
He  was  a  diver  fearfully  emerging 
from  icy  waters,  shaking  sub-zero 
spray  from  his  eyes.  So  much  would 
happen.  Paula  could  know  suffering 
and  tragedy.  A  cord  in  his  neck 
tightened. 

Paula  swept  by  with  a  faint  smile. 
Her  face  held  the  innocence  of  child- 
hood, the  confidence  of  youth,  and 
the  crusading  zeal  of  Joan  of  Arc. 
Behind  her  marched  Herb  Eliott. 
Paula  was  currently  in  love  with 
Herb. 

So  he  hadn't  been  too  concerned 
when,  with  the  frankness  of  atomic- 
age  youth,  she'd  confided,  "Herb  and 
I  mean  to  have  six  children,  a  brick 
house  electrically  applianced.  Of 
course,  I'll  have  my  career — my 
music — too." 

The  career,  he  gathered,  also  had 
a    halo    of    unreality.      He    hadn't 


pointed  out  that  the  house  and  chil- 
dren wouldn't  mysteriously  take  care 
of  themselves;  that  they  would  neces- 
sitate a  large  slice  of  worry  and 
work  about  tonsillectomies,  plumbing, 
menus.  Instead,  he'd  said,  "If  you'd 
concentrate  on  algebra,  you  might 
make  an  A.  .  .  ." 

Her  laugh  was  delicious.  "Daddy! 
I'm  avoiding  the  stigma  of  being  a 
brain.  Herb  says  a  smart  girl  con- 
centrates on  looks." 

He  looked  at  her  now  without  the 
bias  of  father  love.  There  was 
nothing  startling  about  her.  She  was 
average  height,  neither  extremely 
dark  nor  fair,  just  natural  looking, 
and  appealing.  So  there  would  al- 
ways be  a  Herb  or  some  other  man 
in  her  life  until  she  chose  one  Herb 
for  good.  Heaven  help  her  to  choose 
the  right  Herb! 

Somewhere  in  the  marching  seniors, 
he  saw  himself — another  Mark.  He 
recognized  him  by  his  long  arms,  big 
ears,  and  mop  of  red  hair.    This  other 


Mark  looked  with  mild  amazement 
across  the  chasm  of  thirty  years  at 
what  he  had  become:  a  baldheaded 
man  with  an  expanding  waistline.  As 
a  boy,  this  Mark  had  had  a  dream 
with  two  ingredients:  fun  and  barrels 
of  money.  He  and  a  girl  named 
Jennie  had  commuted  to  Bates  High 
with  two  elderly  schoolteachers  and 
some  businessmen.  Very  prosaic! 
Except  that  he  and  Jennie  were  in 
love! 

"Trouble  is,  most  people  think  fun 
and  life  don't  go  together,"  he'd  told 
Jennie.  "No  use  livin',  if  you  can't 
have  fun.  I'll  be  a  famous  ball 
player,  make  a  pile  of  money  out  of 
fiavin'  fun.  Between  seasons,  we'll 
travel.  There'll  be  Hawaii,  the  Alps, 
and  maybe  an  African  safari.  You'd 
love  that,  Jennie.  We'll  have  fun- 
fun—" 

It  was  as  easy  as  that  because 
everything  comes  out  right,  once 
you're  in  a  dream.  Where  was  Jen- 
nie now?  Her  folks  moved  away  that 
summer.  After  all  these  years,  he 
still  remembered  his  pain  at  losing 
Jennie.  They'd  written  long  letters 
for  a  while.  But  words  were  a  poor 
substitute.  Then,  suddenly,  his  father 


Is  th 


t 


by  Verna  Linburg 

had  died.     Somebody  had  to  run  the 
store. 

Baseball  waited  while  he  learned 
about  invoices,  discounts,  markets. 
He  also  learned  to  love  Julia,  the  per- 
fect secretary.  When  they'd  mar- 
ried, there  wasn't  time  for  much  of  a 
honeymoon.  A  new  wing  was  being 
added  to  the  store.  Later  there'd 
been  air  conditioning,  escalators,  a 
tea  room. 

He  could  never  have  done  it  ex- 
cept for  Julia.  Julia  was  good  for 
him.  She  inspired  him  to  make 
dreams  concrete.  He'd  made  money, 
not  barrels  of  it,  but  enough.  Fun? 
Had  he  had  fun  along  the  way? 
Maybe  not.  At  least  not  in  the  way 
the  boy  Mark  had  thought  of  fun. 
But  there'd  been  satisfaction.  Maybe 
that  was  the  word!  Satisfaction  with 
the  business,  his  home,  the  Church, 
Julia!    Julia  was  talking  to  him  now. 

"Isn't   he  distinguished-looking?" 

He  leaned  a  little  closer  to  her  and 
mumbled,  "Hum-m-m?    Who?" 

THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


I  le  and  Julia  were  late.     But  tonight  it  didn't  matter.    Reserved 
seats  awaited  in  the  honored  place  tor  parents. 


Time 


"I  said,  'Isn't  the  speaker  distin- 
guished-looking?"" 

By  a  tremendous  effort,  he  con- 
centrated briefly  on  the  bespectacled 
commencement  orator;  trying  desper- 
ately to  paint  a  realistic  world  to  the 
senior  class,  he  might  as  well  be  lec- 
turing a  group  of  happy  sparrows. 
His  words  rumbled  on  and  on.  Their 
thunder  echoed  in  his  brain  like  the 
distant  rumble  announcing  the  ghost- 
ly nine-pin  game  to  Rip  Van  Winkle. 
Unlike  Rip,  though,  only  half  of  his 
brain  was  asleep — the  half  listening 
to  the  commencement  address — the 
other  half  was  busy  with  thoughts  of 
Paula. 

She'd  come  to  them  after  two  years 
of  marriage.  Naturally,  he'd  wanted 
a  boy  but,  in  no  time  at  all— in  fact, 
from  the  minute  her  baby  fingers 
had  clutched  his  hand — he'd  been 
satisfied  with  a  girl-child.  Daughters 
favored  fathers,  he  thought;  sons 
were  like  mothers.  Paula  grew  to 
look  like  Julia,  thank  goodness,  but 
MAY  1955 


inside  she  was  his.  They  shared  a 
mutual  dislike  of  onions,  hot  Weather, 
and  crowds,  and  a  love  of  rain,  the 
lonesome  whistle  of  a  train  and  the 
taste  of  popcorn.  Tonight  marked 
the  end  of  one  phase  of  their  close- 
ness. After  tonight,  Paula  would 
have  college,  a  home  of  her  own.  .  .  ." 

Her  soprano  voice  awakened  the 
other  half  of  his  brain.  Paula  stood 
before  the  footlights.  She  started  to 
sing. 

Mark  heard  Julia's  sharp  intake  of 
breath,  felt  her  shoulder  give  a  con- 
vulsive twitch.  A  muscle  in  his  jaw 
quivered. 

All  the  longing  and  heartache  of 
childhood  melting  into  adulthood 
was  in  their  daughter's  dear  voice. 
Mark  wanted  to  take  her  into  his 
arms  and  hold  her  forever,  hold  back 
life,  sorrow,  pain.  These  must  never 
touch  her.  The  song  swept  on  to  its 
heartbreaking  finale  on  high-high 
notes. 

It  was  a  wonderful  way  to  end  a 
wonderful  evening.  Thunderous  ap- 
plause rang  down  the  curtain,  and 
the  audience  broke  into  a  milling 
crowd. 

A  small  cyclone  hit  him,  and 
Paula's  arms  closed  around  his  neck. 
"Oh,  Daddy!  I'm  going  to  cry!     It's 


all  over!  I  thought  I'd  be  happy, 
but  I'm  not!  I  know  you  cannot  un- 
derstand. .  .  ." 

But  he-  did.  Something  sweet  and 
dear  was  over  for  him,  too.  Paula 
was  experiencing  her  first  grief  over 
an  accomplished  dream— a  sudden 
adult  awareness  that  possessing  a 
dream  doesn't  bring  happiness.  Why 
must  it  be  so?  He  wished  he  could 
tell  her,  but  there  were  no  words 
for  dreams  that  faded  into  reality. 

He  wanted  to  tell  her,  "Someday 
you'll  be  in  our  place,  and  then  a 
little  door  in  your  heart  will  open 
wide,  and  you'll  be  back  to  tonight. 
So  tonight  isn't  over,  Baby.  Not 
really!  You'll  always  have  it,  in  a 
way."  Instead,  he  patted  her  back 
and  nodded  over  her  shoulder  at 
Miss  Humphreys,  who  had  joined 
them. 

Paula  turned  in  his  arms.  She 
wiped  her  eyes  and  smiled  at  every- 
body. "Daddy,  the  gang's  going  to 
Miss  Humphreys'.  .  .  ." 

"Run  along,"  he  said. 

The  boy  who  took  her  away  wasn't 
named  Herb.  He  was  a  tall,  red- 
headed fellow  with  big  ears,  a  young 
fellow  named  Mark.  And  so  he 
called  after  them, 

"Have  fun!" 

313 


Kaysville,  Utah 


Dear  Edgar, 


It  was  a  thrill  bumping  into  you, 
my  old  missionary  companion, 
after  all  these  years.  But  the 
thrill  turned  to  shock  when  you  an- 
swered my  question  as  to  what  you 
were  doing  in  the  Church  with, 
"Nothing." 

I  am  sorry  our  visit  was  interrupted 
and  cut  so  short  so  that  all  I  had  a 
chance  to  say  was,  "I  still  believe, 
and  stronger  than  ever,"  but  had  no 
time  to  give  you  my  reasons.  Hence^ 
this  letter. 

You  once  told  me  of;  an  experience  \ 
you^had  with   a   deer-hunting  com-*', 
panfon   in  the  high  Uintah   Moun-  . 
tains,  late  one  fall  in  bitter  cold  and 
stormy    weather.      Your    companion 
had  become  lost,  panicky,;  and  finally 
exhausted    from    running  '  over    the, 
mountainside.    He  lay  down  under  a 
pine  tree,  and  by  sheer  luck  you  had  A 
come   upon   him   before  he   froze   to 
death.      He  ; was   still   conscious   and 
could  talk  >to  you,  but  in  his  numbed 
condition   claimed   he   was   not   cold 
at  all. 

No  amount  of  coaxing  on  your  part 
could  persuade  him  to  get  up  and 
move  around.  He  begged  to  be  left 
alone,  insisting  that  he  was  perfectly 
comfortable,  and  became  angry 
when  you  dragged  him  to  his  feet 
and  made  him  move.  You  said  he 
really  was  angry  when  at  last  in 
desperation  you  picked  up  a  stick  and 
laid  one  or  two  across  his  back  until 
he  moved  to  get  out  of  the  reach  of 
it.  You  had  to  drive  him  more  than 
a  mile  like  that,  for  every  time  you 
were  sympathetic  and  eased  up  with 
the  stick,  he'd  lie  down  again.  Final- 
ly, however,  you  got  him  moving 
faster  and  faster  to  get  out  of  the  way 
of  the  stick,  and  his  blood  started 
circulating,  warming  him  up  so  that 
when  he  could  think  clearly,  he 
thanked  you  time  and  time  again  with 
tears  in  his  eyes  for  using  the  stick 
and  saving  his  life. 

I  have  the  feeling  since  our  con- 
versation the  other  day  that  you,  and 
hundreds  of  other  good  men  like  you, 
are  in  about  the  same  condition 
spiritually  as  your  hunting  compan- 
ion was  physically.  You  came  home 
from  your  mission  all  enthusiastic, 
and  for  some  reason  you  have  grown 
cold.  Is  it  because  of  inactivity  in 
the  Church?  Is  it  because  you're  so 
314 


Letter  to  a  Missionary 


An  artist's  conception  of  the  Confederate  attack  on  Fort  Sumter,  in  the  war  prophesied 
by  Joseph  Smith,  as  early  as  1833. 


cold  you  are  numb  and  can't  think 
clearly  in  spiritual  matters? 

Perhaps  you  may  have  been  of- 
fended by  your  ward  teachers,  quo- 
rum president,  or  your  bishop  be- 
cause he  would  not  go  away  and  quit 
bothering  you.  Am  I  guessing  cor- 
rectly? It's  too  bad  there  isn't  some 
sort  of  spiritual  stick  each  could  use 
to  arouse  you  and  get  your  spiritual 
blood  circulating  again.  I'm  sure  the 
time  would  come  when  you  would 
thank  those  who  did  use  it  for  doing 


so. 


Now  to  answer  that  charge  of 
yours  that  there  is  no  evidence,  out- 
side of  Joseph  Smith's  saying  so,  that 
an  angel  ever  visited  him.  Edgar, 
there  are  stacks  of  good  evidence  to 
corroborate  Joseph  Smith's  statement 
that  an  angel  came  to  him  with  an 
all  important  message  from  God  to 
mankind. 

Do  you  remember  the  conference 
in  Chattanooga,  and  the  one  meeting 
we  held   up  on  Lookout  Mountain, 


where  one  of  the  great  battles  of  the 
Civil  War  was  fought,  known  as  the 
"Battle  above  the  Clouds"?  We  mis- 
sionaries were  sitting  on  the  steps  of 
the  New  York  monument  while 
President  Callis  was  delivering  his 
sermon,  and  in  the  course  of  his  re- 
marks he  quoted  these  lines  from 
Shakespeare: 

And  this  our  life  exempt  from  public 

haunt 
Finds  tongues  in  trees,  books  in  the 

running  brooks, 
Sermons  in  stones  and  good  in  every 

thing. 

— As  You  Like  It,  Act  II,  Sc.  1 

Then  he  asked  us,  "If  there  are 
sermons  in  stone,  as  Shakespeare 
said,  what  sermon  is  that  pile  of 
stone  preaching?"  pointing  to  the 
monument.  None  of  us  had  an  an- 
swer. Then  he  said,  "I'll  tell  you 
what  sermon  it  is  preaching.  It  is 
preaching  that  Joseph  Smith  is  a 
Prophet  of  God."  He  paused  as  we 
looked  at  each  other  wondering  how 
THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


Companion 

by  Rulon  Killian 

BISHOP   OF    KAYSVILLE   1ST   WARD 


it  could  possibly  be.  Then  he  con- 
tinued about  like  this: 

"Twenty-eight  years  before  the 
Civil  War  began,  Joseph  Smith 
prophesied  that  war  would  break  out 
between  the  Southern  States  and  the 
Northern  States,  that  the  Southern 
States  would  call  upon  Great  Brit- 
ain for  help,  and  that  the  war  would 
terminate  in  the  death  and  misery 
of  many  souls.  Now  New  York  and 
other  states  have  gone  to  much 
trouble  and  expense  to  have  these 
stones  hauled  up  on  this  mountain 
(and  dozens  of  other  parks  through- 
out the  Southern  States)  and  piled 
up  artistically  to  tell  all  who  visit 
these  places  that  the  Southern  States 
did  fight  against  the  Northern  States, 
that  the  Southern  States  did  call  up- 
on Great  Britain  for  help,  and  that 
the  war  did  terminate  in  the  death 
and  misery  of   many  souls." 

You  may  have  forgotten  that  ser- 
mon, Edgar,  but  I  haven't,  and  as  I 
have  grown  older  and  have  looked 
about  me,  I  see  many  things  besides 
stones  that  are  preaching  a  sermon 


that  Joseph  Smith  is  a  Prophet  and 
testifying  that  he  was  visited  and  in- 
structed by  an  angel.  Your  automo- 
bile is  preaching  it,  and  so  is  your 
refrigerator  and  all  of  our  modern- 
day  wonders. 

The  Angel  Moroni  visited  Joseph 
Smith  September  22,  1823,  and  after 
telling  the  boy  about  the  plates  hid- 
den in  the  hill,  began  quoting  prophe- 
cies from  the  Old  Testament  saying 
that  they  had  not  been  fulfilled  yet 
but  soon  would  be.  One  of  these 
was  from  Joel  2:28  to  30.  It  reads, 
"And  it  shall  come  to  pass  afterward, 
that  I  will  pour  out  my  spirit  upon  all 
flesh;  and  your  sons  and  your  daugh- 
ters shall  prophesy,  your  old  men 
shall  dream  dreams,  your  young  men 
shall  see  visions: 

"And  also  upon  the  servants  and 
upon  the  handmaids  in  those  days 
will  I  pour  out  my  spirit. 

"And  I  will  shew  wonders  in  the 
heavens  and  in  the  earth,  blood,  and 
fire,  and  pillars  of  smoke."  Now 
there  are  other  verses  he  quoted,  and 
whole  sermons  in  each  of  them,  but 
time  and  space  will  permit  my  call- 
ing attention  to  only  the  part  where- 
in it  says  that  God  will  pour  out  his 
spirit  upon  all  flesh,  men  will  dream 
dreams  and  see  visions  and  great 
wonders  will  come  upon  the  earth. 
The  angel  said,  "Now  that  prophecy 
will  soon  come  to  pass." 

Edgar,   have   you  ever  stopped   to 


The  wonders  of  modern  automotive  transportation  received  great  impetus  under  the 
hands  of  such  men  as  Henry  Ford,  pictured  here  in  his  first  "horseless  carriage." 
MAY  1955 


realize  that  men  in  1823  were  har- 
vesting their  grain  with  scythes  and 
sickles  and  threshing  it  out  by  spread- 
ing it  on  a  floor  and  driving  their 
oxen  over  it?  The  selfsame  method 
that  had  been  used  for  the  past  five 
thousand  years.  (You  can  read  of 
that  method  in  the  book  of  Genesis.) 
But  shortly  after  1823,  Cyrus  H. 
McCormick  began  visualizing  the 
possibility  of  a  mechanical  reaper, 
and  it  was  in  the  ninth  year  after 
the  angel's  visit  that  he  had  his 
reaper  patented.  Also,  in  1823, 
women  were  still  using  the  needle  and 
thread  to  make  their  clothes  as  they 
had  been  doing  ever  since  before  the 
flood.  But  soon  the  inventor  Elias 
Howe  got  to  dreaming  of  the  possi- 
bility of  a  sewing  machine,  and  in  a 
score  of  years  he  was  demonstrating 
one. 

I  was  reading  a  little  almanac  re- 
cently put  out  by  the  Bell  Telephone 
Company,  and  this  appeared  in  one 
place,  "When  George  Washington 
died  (December  14,  1799)  although 
his  death  was  top  news  to  the  coun- 
try, it  was  eleven  days  before  the 
people  up  in  Boston  heard  about  it," 
showing  that  in  communication  as 
in  these  other  things  progress  was 
slow.  George  Washington  died 
twenty-four  years  before  the  angel's 
visit.  Shortly  after  the  visit,  how- 
ever, a  man  who  was  neither  scien- 
tist nor  mechanic,  but  an  artist,  was 
returning  from  an  art  exhibit  in 
Paris.  While  on  the  boat  the  idea 
came  to  him  of  the  possibility  of 
sending  messages  by  code  over  a 
wire.  He  soon  was  working  on  the 
idea.  A  wire  was  strung  between 
Washington,  D.  C,  and  Baltimore, 
and  the  first  words  sent  over  the  wire 
were,  "What  hath  God  wrought." 
Thus  Samuel  F.  B.  Morse  publicly 
admitted  that  God  had  put  this  idea 
into  his  head.  (By  the  way,  this 
demonstration  took  place  May  24, 
1844,  just  one  month  and  three  days 
before  that  bloodthirsty  mob  took  the 
life  of  Joseph  Smith  in  Carthage, 
Illinois.)  Twenty-four  years  before 
the  angel's  visit  it  took  top  news 
eleven  days  to  reach  Boston,  three 
hundred  and  fifty  miles  away! 
Twenty-four  years  after  the  angel's 
visit  it  could  be  sent  in  less  than 
eleven  seconds. 

Edgar,  get  out  your  encyclopedia 
and  check  me  on  these  dates  and  no- 
tice too  that  in  transportation  as  in 

{Continued  on  page  350) 
315 


Juan   (one  of  the  Lacadon  Indian  guides)   paddling  the  boat  taking   Milton    R.    Hunter   and   Jose   Davila   across   the   river    near 
Jose  Petit's  home,  and   Nabor    (another  Lacadon  Indian   guide),  sitting  on  the  log. 


Part  II 

Visiting  Bonampak  and  the  Lacadon  Indians 


dramatic  chapter  in  the  story  of 
/I  American  archaeology  was  broad- 
ly cast  to  the  world  in  1947  when 
the  recent  discovery  in  the  southern 
jungles  of  Mexico  of  scenes  depicting 
dark-and  light-colored  Indians  paint- 
ed on  the  interior  walls  of  a  temple 
was  announced.  The  Mayan  name 
Bonampak,  meaning  "painted  walls," 
was  given  to  this  archaeological  site.1 
A  succession  of  interesting  events 
resulted  in  the  discovery  of  Bonam- 
pak. Approximately  fifteen  years 
ago  when  war  clouds  were  hovering 
over  the  United.  States,  Charles  (Car- 
los) Frey,  a  young  man  in  Chicago, 
decided  to  get  completely  away  from 
what  we  term  civilization;  and  so  he 
left  the  United  States  with  the  hope 
of  rinding  a  spot  where  he  could 
enjoy    peace    and    contentment   with 

iSylvanus     G.     Morley,     The     Ancient     Maya     (Palo 
Alto,    California,     1947),    p.    415. 

316 


complete  freedom  from  the  multitude 
of  worries  and  problems  attached  to 
modern  society.  In  the  jungles  of  the 
Usumancinta  River  basin  near  the 
southern  borders  of  Mexico,  he  joined 
a  group  of  Mayans,  the  Lacadon  In- 
dians, who  were  living  under  very 
primitive  conditions.2  He  married 
one  of  their  women  and  made  his 
home  with  them. 

After  living  with  them  for  a  few 
years,  he  won  their  confidence,  and 
they  told  him  about  Bonampak,  situ- 
ated some  ten  to  fifteen  miles  from 
their  jungle  huts.  As  a  result  of 
much  persuasion,  the  Lacadon  In- 
dians guided  Mr.  Frey  to  the  temple 
of  the  "painted  walls,"  and  these  he 
examined  with  intense  interest.  Soon 
thereafter  he  visited  Mexico  City  and 
reported     his    discovery.       Archaeol- 


Archaeology 

Book 


Hbid.,   pp.   208,   381,  410. 


ogists  hurried  to  Bonampak  and  pub- 
lished articles  describing  this  unusual, 
ancient  temple  with  its  "painted 
walls." 

When  I  read  those  articles,  I  se- 
cretly and  eagerly  hoped  to  visit  Bon- 
ampak and  examine  this  marvelous 
discovery  which  could  provide  valu- 
able evidence  in  helping  to  confirm 
the  claims  made  by  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon that  there  were  dark  and  light 
colored  peoples  in  ancient  America. :- 
My  chances  to  go  there  seemed  re- 

32   Ne.   5:21-25;   30:6;   Jacob  3:8;   3'Ne.   2:15. 

THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


mote;   however,    rather   unexpectedly 
I  received  the  opportunity  to  go. 

At  5:30   a.m.   on   the   morning   of 
January     18,     1955,    Otto    Done,    a 
photographer  working  for  the  Church, 
Jose    Davila,    a    Mexican    guide    and 
former   branch   president   at   Puebla, 
and  I  alighted  from  a  train  at  Tenosi- 
que,  Tabasco,  Mexico,  waited  anxious- 
ly   for    daylight   to    come,    and    then 
hired  the  owner  of  a  small  plane  to 
fly  us  to  an  airstrip  near  Bonampak. 
By  10  o'clock  we  had  flown  over  the 
jungles  of  Mexico  nearly  to  the  ex- 
treme southern  limits  of  that  coun- 
try  and   had   landed   on   an   airstrip 
cut   for    the    use   of    workers    in    the 
chicle    industry   which    provides    the 
substance  from  which  chewing  gum 
is  made.     The  place  we  landed  was 
called   El  Sedro.     We  were  now  in 
one  of  the  most  densely  wooded  re- 
gions in  the  world,  where  there  are 
no   civilized  people   and   no   laws   to 
govern    the    few    primitive    Lacadon 
Indians   who   live   there.      Before   he 
left,  our  aviator  informed  us  that  we 
were  crazy   if  we  attempted  to  hike 
to  Bonampak.     He  said,  "If  you  get 
lost,  you  won't  be  the  first  nor  the 
last  ones.    Recently  an  American  was 
lost  in  these  jungles  for  fifteen  days." 
In  spite  of  his  efforts  to   discourage 
us,  we  were  still  determined  to  go  to 
Bonampak. 

And  so  the  aviator  remarked,   "If 
you  still  insist  on  going,  there  is  your 


v/nv 


■ 


■ 


and  the 
of  Mormon 

by  Dr.  Milton  R.  Hunter 

OF  THE  FIRST  COUNCIL  OF  THE  SEVENTY 

Photographs  by  Otto  Done  BB| 


trail  leading  out  of  the  southwest 
corner  of  the  airstrip;  however,  I  still 
think  you  are  fools." 

We  arranged  with  the  aviator  to 
meet  him  at  the  airstrip  three  days 
hence  at  10  a.m.,  waved  adieu  as  he 
flew  away,  and  then  commenced  hik- 
ing along  a  very  indistinct  and  diffi- 
cult jungle  trail. 

After  approximately  one  hour's 
time  had  passed  and  Otto,  Jose,  and 
I  had  almost  reached  the  conclusion 

(Continued  on  following  page) 
MAY  1955 


m 
*%« 

mm 

■  fi  n»!"v 
$&$ 

f  •/  J.V-  'ft 

%m 


'.  ?4>'.%V 


-Mm  ■ 


#&- 

^  '  F,  Bj-  J. 

■rip  A  •■•"•" 


Top:  Airplane  view  of  jungles  and  clouds,  shortly  before  the  arrival  at 
the  airstrip  fifteen  miles  from  Bonampak.  Center:  A  stream  of  water  used 
for  a  jungle  trail,  and  Nabor,  Milton  R.  Hunter,  and  Jose  Davila.  Bottom: 
Lacadon  Indians  studying  a  photograph  of  themselves,  Milton  R.  Hunter, 
and  Jose  Davila.  Observe  height  of  Indians.  The  three  on  the  left  are 
the  Indians  who  first  met  us. 

317 


dred  feet  upward  and  growing  close- 
ly together,  were  interwoven  with 
vines  of  various  species.  These  nd 
only  climbed  the  trees  from  the 
ground  to  their  tops,  but  also  grew 
crosswise  from  tree  to  tree,  making: 
the  vegetation  practically  a  solid 
hedge.  We  observed  that  certain 
varieties  of  plants,  such  as  philoden- 
drons,  which  are  grown  as  house 
plants  in  Utah,  climbed  one  hundred 
feet  high  to  the  tops  of  the  trees. 
Words  are  inadequate  to  describe  the 
density  and  the  beauty  of  the  tropical 
jungles  of  southern  Mexico.  Thou- 
sands of  orchid  plants  are  attached 
to  the  trees.  When  in  full  bloom, 
these    flowers   would    be    a    gorgeous 


sight. 


Milton  R.  Hunter  and  Nabor  examining  a  broken  Mayan  stele  at  Bonampak. 


Archaeology  and  the  Book  of  Mormon 


(Continued  from  preceding  page) 
that  we  were  lost,  we  met  some  In- 
dians  on  the  trail  and  they  became 
our  guides. 

Our  rescuers  consisted  of  two  In- 
dian women  and  a  boy,  the  latter 
whom  I  estimated  to  be  approximately 
fifteen  years  old.  These  Indians,  hav- 
ing heard  our  plane,  had  left  their 
home  and  hurried  down  the  trail  to 
meet  us. 

They  spoke  Spanish  and  Mayan, 
having  learned  the  former  language 
from  chicle  workers,  and  so  Otto  and 
Jose  conversed  with  them  in  Spanish. 

After  proper  introductions  had  been 
made,  the  Indian  women  announced 
that  they  were  formerly  the  wives 
of  a  man  named  Corranza  who  had 
been  killed  recently  by  another  mem- 
ber of  their  tribe  named  Obregon. 
This  news  was  disheartening.  Here 
we  were  miles  and  miles  from  civili- 
zation, with  no  law  enforcement 
officers  nor  laws  to  protect  us,  and 
suddenly  we  were  informed  that  this 
had  happened.  With  concern  we 
asked,  "Why  did  Obregon  shoot  Cor- 
ranza?" 

The  reply  was,  "Because  Obregon 
was  loco  in  the  head." 

In  each  of  our  hearts  was  a  strong 
hope  and  a  sincere  prayer  that  we 
three  would  not  become  Obregon's 
next  victims.  Nevertheless  we  were 
very   thankful    to    have    the    Indians 

318 


as  our  guides;  and  so  we  proceeded 
onward,  putting  our  trust  in  the  Lord. 
Never  in  my  life  before  making 
this  trip  have  I  known  what  jungles 
and  jungle  trails  really  were.  What 
a  trail!  The  trees  of  numerous  varie- 
ties, towering  approximately  one  hun- 


Occasionally  vines  grew  across  the 
trail  only  four  or  five  feet  from  the 
ground.  This  necessitated  much 
stooping  on  our  part,  especially  in  the 
case  of  Otto  Done  who  is  six  feet 
two  inches  tall.  Because  of  the  masses 
of  leaves  which  were  packed  on  the 
ground,  the  trail  at  times  was  ex- 
tremely difficult  to  distinguish.  We 
could  have  gone  one  direction  almost 
as  easily  as  another  and  still  thought 
we  were  on  the  trail. 

The  tropical  vegetation  was  so 
dense,  regardless  of  how  brightly  the 
sun  shone  in  the  heavens,  that  it  re- 
sembled dusk  throughout   the  entire 


Jose  Petit,  a  red- 
headed Lacadon  In- 
dian —  practically 
white,  with  his  wife 
and  baby.  Jose  is 
the  brother-in-law  of 
of  Frey,  discoverer  of 
Bonampak. 


■■*■>. .,y3T  .^■gyyWu.  v  ■  ■. ■■->:■: ■-■--V ""  <r  -W  .oV^. .  3  "vSL,  '  SF*     ■:". 

THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


A  White,  redheaded  Lacadon  woman. 

course  of  our  journey.  The  heat  was 
intense  and  the  humidity  high.  I 
was  unable  to  wear  my  glasses  at 
all  in  the  jungles. 

We  soon  learned  that  the  Lacadon 
Indians    were    decidedly   in    favor    of 

J 

using  streams  of  water  for  the  trail 
whenever  opportunity  afforded  itself. 
Occasionally  during  the  earlier  por- 
tion of  our  journey  the  trail  crossed 
streams  of  water.  We  picked  our 
way  very  cautiously,  endeavoring  to 
find  logs  or  rocks  on  which  to  walk. 
Soon  our  feet  were  thoroughly  soaked, 
and  from  then  on  we  merely  waded 
in  the  water  in  Indian  fashion  when- 
ever we  encountered  a  stream.  As 
we  continued  our  journey  toward 
Bonampak,  the  trail  on  a  number  of 
occasions  actually  went  in  the  streams 
of  water,  following  their  courses  for 
nearly  one  hundred  yards  at  a  time 
before  coming  again  onto  the  land. 
At  certain  times  the  water  in  which 
we  waded  was  knee-deep.  The  trail 
was  so  indistinct  and  difficult  to  fol- 
low that  without  our  Indian  guides 
we  would  have  never  reached  Bon- 
ampak. 

Our  progress  was  made  more  diffi- 
cult in  certain  places  by  muddy  trails, 
causing  us  to  sink  ankle-deep;  in 
other  places  our  progress  was  ham- 
pered by  four  or  five  logs  which  had 
fallen  on  top  of  each  other  and  were 
lying  stretched  across  the  trail.  If 
it  so  happened  that  there  was  a  hole 
large  enough  underneath  the  logs  to 
squeeze  through,  the  Indians  would 
drop  on  their  stomachs  and  crawl. 
Unfortunately,  we  found  it  impossible 
to  follow  suit,  since  we  were  carrying 
MAY  1955 


so  much  equipment,  and  so  we  were 
forced  to  climb  over  the  logs.  I  had  ' 
a  large  movie  camera  strapped  around 
my  neck  and  hanging  in  front  of  me, 
with  another  camera  hanging  down 
my  back,  and  water  canteens  hanging 
on  each  side.  Otto  and  Jose  were 
equally  heavily  laden,  their  packs  in- 
cluding food,  hammocks,  and  several 
additional  cameras. 

As  we  continued  our  journey  along 
the  jungle  trail,  it  seemed  as  if  every 
vine  reached  out  and  grabbed  hold 
of  our  feet,  tripping  us  over.  It  was 
really  laughable  to  see  how  many 
times  each  of  us  fell  down,  but  our 
Indian  guides  never  stumbled.  My 
first  really  exciting  fall  occurred 
shortly  after  the  Indians  had  joined 
us.  We  were  attempting  to  cross  a 
stream  on  a  log  covered  with  slick, 
green  moss.  When  I  reached  the 
middle  of  the  stream,  my  feet  slipped, 
and  I  fell  into  the  water.  As  quickly 
as  I  could  I  held  both  cameras  as 
high  out  of  the  water  as  possible, 
while  I  struggled  to  my  feet  and  out 
of  the  stream.  How  the  Indians 
laughed!  That  mishap  furnished 
them  the  most  fun  they  experienced 
while  we  were  with  them. 

We  hiked  through  the  jungles  for 
approximately    two    hours    after    the 


Indian  women  and  boy  met  us  before 
we  arrived  at  their  casa  or  home.  We 
invited  them  to  continue  on  to 
Bonampak,  but  they  declined,  stating 
that  the  two  men  of  that  particular 
household  probably  would  go  with  us 
if  we  would  wait  until  they  returned 
from  hunting  birds.  Naturally  to 
wait  was  our  only  choice;  however, 
this  afforded  us  an  unusual  oppor- 
tunity to  study  the  Lacadon  Indians 
firsthand. 

The  two  men,  their  several  wives, 
and  the  two  boys  were  living  in  two 
thatched  houses  which  stood  in  the 
center  of  a  beautiful  spot  that  had 
been  carved  out  of  the  jungles.  A 
river  of  sparkling  water  ran  nearby. 
Approximately  ten  acres  of  land  pro- 
duced bananas,  sweet  potatoes,  corn, 
sugar  cane,  gourds,  tobacco,  and 
papayas  for  the  Indians'  subsistence. 
We  observed  that  this  small  group  of 
natives  had  twelve  dogs,  a  herd  of 
goats,  a  large  flock  of  chickens,  several 
turkeys,  and  a  pair  of  parrots.  The 
latter  perched  in  a  tree  and  served  as 
decoys  to  attract  wild  parrots  which 
the  Indians  shot  for  food  according 
to  their  desires  and  needs. 

Since  there  were  only  two  boys  of 
approximately  fifteen  years  of  age  in 

(Continued  on  page  338) 


K":S;!!jj.:i- 


Lacadon  Indians  eating  dinner  before  the  departure  for  Bonampak. 


319 


by  Elsie  Chamberlain  Carroll 


YEAR 


Nancy  left  her  typewriter  and 
went  impatiently  to  answer  the 
doorbell.  She'd  never  get  that 
article  finished  in  time.  She  hoped 
it  was  a  salesman  whom  she  could 
dispose  of  quickly.  She  sighed  as  she 
passed  the  door  of  Jim's  disorderly 
room.  Why  was  it  so  much  harder 
to  train  Jim  than  it  had  been  the 
other  children? — That  slipshod  Barker 
family — what  he  could  see  in  the 
girl?— The  bell  rang  again. 

"Good  morning,  Mrs.  Morris," 
greeted  the  smartly  tailored  young 
woman  on  the  porch.  "Can  you  spare 
a  few  moments?" 

"I'm  very  busy.    What — " 

"I'm  Bonnie  Ungar  from  the  Eve- 
ning Express.  You  know,  of  course, 
that  you  are  a  nominee  for  the  Clarks- 
dale  mother  of  the  year." 

"Yes.  I  heard — or  read  something 
about  it.  There  were  several  nom- 
inees." 

"Yes.  But  you  are  tied  in  the 
committee  with  another,  that  is  for— 
the  deciding  vote.  Mr.  Harvey,  edi- 
tor of  the  Express,  persuaded  the  com- 
mittee to  let  him  run  interviewes 
with  you  two  nominees;  then  maybe 
have  a  public  poll  or  something  like 
that  for  the  final  decision.  It  seems 
the  qualifications  of  you  and  the 
other  nominee  are  so  fine — and  yet 

320 


so  different  that  he  thinks  it  would 
arouse  interest  in  what  are  the  best 
qualifications  for  good  motherhood. 
He  appointed  me  to  write  the  inter- 
views which  will  be  published  in  the 
woman's  department  of  the  Express." 

Nancy  hesitated.  She  was  natural- 
ly pleased  that  she  had  been  nomi- 
nated by  the  Progressive  League  she 
had  organized  a  number  of  years  ago. 
But  having  a  public  poll — it  was  a 
strange  procedure. 

"If — if  you  are  too  busy  right  now, 
I  could  come  back  a  little  later,"  the 
girl  offered.  "I  could  go  and  see 
Mrs.  Barker  first." 

"No,  no.  Come  in.  I'm  always 
busy."  Mrs.  Barker — surely  it  couldn't 
be — 

"Sit  here,  by  this  table.  Who  did 
you  say  the  other  nominee  is?" 

"A  Mrs.  Barker — Susan  I  think  her 
name  is." 

"The  one  who  lives  on  Canal 
Street?" 

"Why,  yes,  I  believe  so.  Yes,  here 
it  is — 49  West  Canal  Street.  Her 
husband  is  Sam  Barker.  He  has  a 
food  store  over  on  the  west  side.  She 
must  be  a  wonderful  woman,  too, 
though  not  so  prominent  as  you.  I 
really  hadn't  heard  of  her  before.  I 
suppose  you  know  her." 

"I  know  of  her,"  Nancy  said  dryly. 


She  thought  of  her  picture  of  the 
Barker  home  she  had  built  from 
things  Jim  had  said  since  he  became 
interested  in  Jeanie — a  family  picnic 
in  the  living  room  one  day  when  it 
rained — little  boys  roasting  wieners 
over  logs  in  the  fireplace — neighbor- 
hood talent  shows  and  lawn  carnivals 
with  the  mother  leaving  her  washing 
half-done  to  be  a  judge.  And  he 
thought  it  was  wonderful. 

"Well,  now  what  is  it  you  want  to 
know?"  She  wondered  who  could 
have  nominated  the  woman.  She 
couldn't  possibly  belong  to  any  clubs 
— with  that  household.  Was  it  nine 
or  eleven,  Jim  had  said? 

"Why  just  everything.  Everyone 
knows  how  much  you've  done  for 
Clarksdale,  working  on  drives,  lectur- 
ing, organizing  clubs.  You  organized 
the  Progressive  League — tell  me  about 
that."   ' 

"That  was  fifteen  years  ago.  There 
was  nothing  in  Clarksdale  then,  it 
seemed  to  me,  of  a  cultural  nature. 
There  were  only  five  original  mem- 
bers. Women  were  not  interested  in 
anything  outside  their  homes.  Now 
there  are  fifty  members  and  a  long 
waiting  list.  The  league  has  done 
wonders  in  improving  the  members 
through  wide  reading  and  has  stimu- 
lated interest  in  civic  projects  which 
THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


have  raised  the  cultural  standards  of 
the  town." 

"What  are  some  of  the  projects  you 
have  helped  to  promote?" 

"I  promoted  the  first  drive  for  a 
public  library,  was  a  charter  member 
of  the  City  Health  Board.  Oh,  I 
suppose  I've  had  my  hand  in  most 
everv  worth-while  movement  in 
Clarksdale  during  the  last  quarter  of 
a   century." 

"I'm  sure  you  have.  And  all  your 
lecturing  and  writing  besides." 

"Yes,  I  do  some  of  both.  I  helped 
get  our  Community  Lyceum  Course 
operating  and  have  been  on  the  Lec- 
turing Service  Bureau  since. 

"And  you  write  for  different  maga- 
zines." 

"I  do  the  news  notes  for  the 
A.A.U.W.  Bulletin  and  some  articles 
each  year  for  the  Social  Science 
Gazette,  and  occasionally  something 
else.  I'm  busy  now  on  an  article  I 
must  get  off." 

"Tell  me  about  your  hobbies." 

Nancy  stiffened  a  little. 

"I've  never  had  time  for  hobbies. 
They're  for  people  who  fail  to  find 
real  objectives  in  life." 

The  girl  was  taken  aback. 

"Tell  me  about  your  family.  I  un- 
derstand your  four  sons  and  one 
daughter  have  done  pretty  wonderful 
things,  too.  And  of  course  it's  the 
children  who  largely  determine  the 
greatness  of  the  mother." 

"My  oldest  son,  Dr.  Henry  T.  Mor- 
ris, is  with  the  International  Archaeo- 
logical Institute." 

"I've  heard  of  him.  He  writes  for 
National  Geographic." 

"Yes.     He  conducts  archaeological 
surveys,    too,    in    different    countries. 
He  is  going  to  Greece  soon  to  over- 
see excavations   there. 
MAY  1955 


Or  had  he  already  gone?  Nancy 
recalled  his  last  letter  with  uneasi- 
ness. Could  his  marriage  be  in 
danger?  He  mentioned  Harriet's  ob- 
jection to  his  traveling  abroad  until 
Tommy  had  recovered  from  rheu- 
matic fever.  Why  hadn't  he  written 
more?  Had  she  made  the  children 
too  independent  of  her? 

"You  must  be  very  proud  of  him. 
Your  next  son?  He's  the  architect 
who  helped  plan  the  remodeling  of 
the  White  House,  isn't  he?" 

"Yes,  Richard  is  doing  very  well." 


"The  Express  ran  an  article  on  him 
in  our  column,  'Local  Boys  Make 
Good.'  " 

Nancy  wondered  if  she  sent  the 
clipping  to   Richard — or  was  it   still 


in  her  desk?  She'd  been  so  busy 
about  that  time  with  committee  work. 

"And  your  third  son?  Where  is 
he?" 

"He's  with  the  government  also — 
an  attache  in  Italy." 

"Are  these   three  sons   married?" 

"Yes.  Walter  hasn't  been  home 
since  the  war.  He  married  a  French 
girl  while  he  was  doing  personnel 
work  after  the  war.  Then  he  was 
given  his  present  position." 

"And  you  haven't  seen  him  in  all 
these  years?" 

"No.  Children  have  their  own 
lives  to  live."  Nancy  recalled  Walter's 
plan  to  bring  his  bride  home  and  her 
own  discouragement  of  it  because 
of  the  expense  and  shortness  of  his 
vacation.  Had  her  hope  to  go  abroad 
herself  before  he  returned,  prompted 
her  advice? 

"And  you  have  but  one  daughter? 
What  is  she  doing  to  add  to  your 
honor  as  a  mother?" 

"I'm  afraid  nothing."  Nancy  hoped 
the  girl  couldn't  sense  her  disap- 
pointment. "Kathie  married  just  be- 
fore she  finished  college.  I'd  planned 
for  her  to  study  medicine.  Her  father 
had  hoped  one  of  the  children  would 
follow  his  profession — and  she  seemed 
to  have  a  bent  in  that  direction.  Her 
husband  is  an  agricultural  professor." 

Her  disappointment  that  Kathie 
had  refused  a  career  still  hurt.  Of 
course  she'd  wanted  her  to  marry, 
but  she  was  so  young  and  had  had 
her  babies  so  fast.  Nancy  had  tried 
hard  to  be  father  and  mother  both 
after  Henry's  death.  She  had  so 
wanted  them  all  to  achieve.  But 
Kathie  had  failed  her. 

"How  many  grandchildren  do  you 
have?"  the  girl  asked. 

(Continued  on  following  page) 

321 


(Continued  from  preceding  page) 

Nancy  felt  almost  embarrassed. 
Her  children  were  prolific. 

"Henry  has  five,  Richard  five,  and 
Walter — three."  His  last  letter  had 
said  there  would  be  another  in  the 
spring,  and  the  baby  wasn't  yet  a 
year  old!  "And  Kathie — She  used  to 
say  she  wanted  ten  and — she  has 
seven  already.  One  pair  of  twins. 
I'm  afraid  she's  like  some  of  the 
women  here  who  seem  to  think  the 
size  of  their  families  is  the  goal  of 
motherhood.  I  believe  in  improving 
the  race — not  just  making  it  larger." 
The  girl  kept  busily  taking  notes. 

"Oh,  we  haven't  talked  about  Jim. 
Though  he's  still  young,  I  imagine 
you  can  tell  pretty  well  what  he  will 
be." 

Nancy  sighed.  "I  wish  I  could 
tell  about  Jim.  He's  the  brightest 
of  the  children  as  far  as  his  IQ  goes. 
But  he   hasn't   found   himself  yet." 

"Doesn't  he  go  with  Jeanie  Barker? 
How  exciting!  Their  mothers — both 
candidates  for  Mother  of  the  Year. 
That  would  make  a  story  in  itself." 

"I  don't  see  why,"  Nancy  said 
coldly.  "Now  if  you  have  the  in- 
formation you  want,  Miss  Ungar,  I 
really  must  get  back  to  my  work." 

"Could  you  give  me  just  one  more 
thing?  I  do  want  to  do  justice  to  you 
wonderful  women.  Please  list  the 
things  you  have  developed  in  your 
children  which  you  consider  the  great- 
est contributing  factors  in  their  suc- 
cess." 

As  Nancy  sat  formulating  the  rules, 
schedules,  and  habits  she  had  empha- 
sized with  the  children  in  their  early 
lives,  she  noted  the  girl's  eyes  roving 
admiringly  over  the  attractive  living 
room.  Nancy  was  proud  of  the 
harmony,  the  dignified  austerity,  and 
elegance  she  had  achieved. 

"I  don't  know  whether  these  are 
the  most  important,  but  being  left 
to  take  the  place  of  their  father  as 
well  as  being  mother,  I  tried  to  im- 
press them  with  things  I  felt  were 
the  bases  of  success:  becoming  in- 
dependent— able  to  solve  their  own 
problems  without  leaning  on  others: 
forming  habits  of  industry  and  de- 
pendability; and  to  be  constantly  on 
the  alert  for  opportunities  for  ad- 
vancement toward  the  goals  of  their 
ambitions.  I  had  them  follow  a  few 
rules  and  schedules  in  the  home  to 
inculcate  punctuality,  neatness,  shar- 
ing of  responsibility.     These  seemed 

322 


MOTHER  OF  THE  YEAR 

to  work  pretty  well  with  the  older 
boys.  But — of  course  Jim  is  still 
young." 

"I  think  you've  been  wonderfully 
successful,  and  thank  you  so  much. 
If  you  think  of  anything  else,  call  me. 
Mr.  Harvey  wants  the  interviews  in 
tomorrow's  paper." 

Nancy  went  back  to  her  work,  still 
thinking  of  Susan  Barker.  What 
had  she  done  for  Clarksdale — except 
increase  the  population?  Her  house- 
keeping must  be  haphazard — judging 
from  the  effect  on  Jim.  How  serious 
was  he  with  Jeanie?  She  was  pretty, 
Nancy  recalled,  the  one  time  he'd 
brought  her  home — but  not  well- 
groomed.  He'd  brought  her  only 
once,  but  went  to  her  home  more 
and  more  frequently. 

Back  at  her  work  she  forgot  every- 
thing until  four  o'clock,  when  she 
stopped  to  freshen  herself  and  pre- 
pare dinner.  When  it  was  six  o'clock 
and  Jim  hadn't  come,  she  was  irri- 
tated. If  he'd  been  delayed  at  the 
lab  he  should  have  phoned.  This 
was  happening  too  often.  He'd  prob- 
ably gone  home  with  Jeanie  and  was 
eating  some  of  Mrs.  Barker's  "good 
stew"  he'd  told  her  about,  sitting  with 
a  bunch  of  disheveled  kids. 

She  ate  her  dinner  in  grim  discon- 
tent and  was  back  at  her  work  when 
Jim  came,  hours  later.  When  he 
came  to  her  door,  she  said  coldly,  "I 
suppose  you've  had  something  to 
eat." 

"Yes,"  he  answered  and  went  to 
his  room.  The  next  day  there  was  a 
restraint  between   them. 

When  the  Express  came  that  eve- 
ning, Nancy  turned  at  once  to 
Woman's  Section  and  hastily  read  the 
editorial  paragraph  preceding  Miss 
Ungar's  interviews.  She  re-read  the 
last  sentence:  "But  after  all,  this 
recognition  is  not  for  the  Mother  of 
the  Year,  but  for  the  outstanding 
mother,  and  it  is  in  her  relationship 
with  her  children  that  a  mother's 
greatness  is  found."  An  uneasy  feel- 
ing stole  over  Nancy,  but  she  soon 
forgot  it  as  she  read  of  the  achieve- 
ments of  herself  and  her  children. 
The  girl  had  done  a  good  job.  Nancy 
glowed  with  satisfaction. 

She  turned  to  the  other  interview 
with  curiosity. 

"The  two  selected  by  the  committee 
from  the  number  of  worthy  nominees 
are  vastly  different.  My  visits  to  both 
were — well,   inspiring. 


"Mrs.  Barker  was  making  a  cos- 
tume for  one  of  her  girls  for  the  com- 
ing school  jamboree.  She  was  also 
tending  a  daughter's  twins  while 
their  mother  was  working  on  the 
drive  for  disabled  Korean  veterans, 
and  she  was  baking  beans  for  a 
church  social.  But  she  made  me  wel- 
come. 

"Mrs.  Barker  is  the  mother  of  ten. 
The  six  married  ones  have  given  her 
twenty-one  grandchildren." 

Nancy  read  of  the  Barker  progeny 
— one  son  was  a  Scout  executive;  an- 
other was  with  his  father  in  the  gro- 
cery business;  a  third,  city  recreational 
director,  and  another  was  on  a  mis- 
sion. She  read  with  special  interest 
about  her  daughters. 

"  'Ruth  is  the  mother  of  the  twins. 
I  was  too  busy  when  my  children 
were  small  to  do  anything  outside 
the  home.  I  don't  want  my  girls  to 
be  so  tied.  I  try  to  give  them  a  little 
freedom  so  they  can  take  part  in 
things  that  help  others  and  at  the 
same  time  make  them  better  mothers. 
Clara,  my  second  girl,  is  going  to  a 
home  demonstrator's  convention  in 
Seattle.  We  will  have  her  three  with 
us  the  ten  days  she's  gone.  Her 
husband  is  fine  about  her  going,  but 
he's  principal  of  the  junior  high  over 
in  Three  Points  and  of  course  can't 
take  care  of  the  babies.'  " 

"When  the  interviewer  asked  if 
caring  for  grandchildren  wasn't  hard 
now  she  was  getting  older,  Susan  re- 
plied: 'Well,  of  course,  I  get  tired 
easier,  but  grandchildren  don't  get 
on  my  nerves,  they're  something  extra 
special. 

"While  she  talked  of  her  children 
she  alternately  picked  up  the  toys  the 
twins  kept  throwing  out  of  the  play 
pen,  checked  on  the  beans  in  the 
oven,  and  basted  ruffles  on  Judy's 
costume.  Phil,  in  Korea,  had  been 
wounded  twice  and  decorated  for  the 
heroic  rescue  of  some  of  his  wounded 
buddies.' 

"She  told  of  the  disappointment  to 
her  and  her  husband  that  they 
couldn't  give  all  their  children  college 
educations.  Robert  had  started  to 
school  on  his  GI  allotment,  but  when 
their  second  baby  came,  they  couldn't 
make  his  $90  stretch  over  all  their 
expenses;  so  he  had  stopped  to  help 
his  father  in  the  grocery  business. 
She  hoped  Phil  could  go  when  he  goi 
back  from  Korea  and  Howard  when 

(Continued  on  page  346) 
THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


rawer. 


i 


THE  KEY  TO  SECURITY 


by  Ezra  J.  Pouhen 


The  person  who  has  a  firm  trust 
in  the  Supreme  Being  is  powerful 
in  his  power,  wise  by  his  wisdom, 
happy  by  his  happiness,"  says  Joseph 
Addison. 

When  one  sees  people  beset  by  fear 
and  anxiety,  often  over  matters  of 
no  great  moment,  he  is  compelled  to 
wonder  why  so  many  fail  to  seek  the 
strength  found  in  honest  faith  and 
in  daily  prayer.  The  person  who 
keeps  in  touch  with  God  in  the  true 
spirit  of  worship  finds  courage  to  act, 
make  decisions,  and  meet  life's  re- 
verses with  a  buoyancy  unknown  to 
the  person  of  little  faith. 

As  a  small  boy,  I  used  to  wonder 
about  our  nextdoor  neighbor.  I  was 
sure  he  was  the  happiest  man  I  ever 
saw,  though  I  could  see  no  particular 
reason  for  this.  But  I  knew  by  the 
way  he  whistled  when  he  worked 
in  his  garden,  by  the  way  he  greeted 
the  youngsters  on  the  street,  as  well 
as  his  ever-present  smile  that  he  felt 
life  was  paying  him  rich  dividends, 
though  he  worked  hard  and  was  not 
wealthy.  In  time,  I  learned  his  story. 
He  had  lived  a  careless  life  in  his 
younger  days,  and  as  a  result  had 
tasted  the  bitter  dregs  of  failure  and 
hopelessness,  which  is  usually  the  lot 
of  those  who  attempt  to  live  aim- 
lessly without  God.  Then,  in  his 
need,  he  humbled  himself  and  prayed 
for  guidance.  That  was  the  begin- 
ning of  a  new  life,  which  made  him 
a  friend  of  man  and  a  servant  of 
God.  And  he  became  the  happiest 
of  men. 

Another  person  who  brought  home 
to  me  at  an  early  age  the  conviction 
that  prayer  leads  one  along  the  road 
to  security  and  happiuess  was  Heber 
Keech  of  St.  Charles,  Idaho.  Brother 
Keech  used  to  ride  horseback  through 
the  settlements  of  the  Bear  Lake  Val- 


The  person  who  keeps  in  touch  with  God 
in  the  true  spirit  of  worship  finds  courage 
to  meet  life's  reverses  with  a  buoyancy  un- 
known to  the  person  of  little  faith. 


MAY  1955 


ley  visiting  religion  classes  in  the 
various  wards.  His  faith- promoting 
stories  always  held  us  spellbound. 

In  one  of  them,  which  I  have  heard 
him  tell  several  times,  he  related  an 
experience  while  chopping  a  tree 
down  in  the  canyon.  He  was  sure, 
by  all  his  knowledge  as  a  woodsman, 
that  his  horses  tied  to  his  wagon  some 
distance  away,  peacefully  eating  their 
hay,  were  safe,  as  he  intended  felling 
the  tree  directly  away  from  them. 

Yet,  as  his  ax  rang  out  in  the  crisp 
October  air,  he  was  suddenly  seized 


by  an  impression,  which  seemed  as 
if  it  were  a  voice  speaking  to  him, 
warning  him  to  move  his  horses  and 
wagon.  At  first,  he  tried  to  resist  the 
warning,  thinking  it  but  a  passing  no- 
tion; but  having  knelt  by  his  wagon 
to  pray  for  safety  and  guidance,  be- 
fore leaving  his  home  in  the  valley, 
he  gave  sober  thought,  and  finally 
gave  obedience  to  the  prompting. 
Later,  when  the  tree,  having  twisted 
unexpectedly  on  the  stump,  crashed 
down  across  the  spot  where  his  horses 
and  wagon  had  been,  he  knew  he 
had  been  saved  from  a  disaster  by 
his  willingness  to  listen  to  the  still 
small  voice. 

We  all  face  perplexities  and  dan- 
gers almost  daily,  and  not  infre- 
quently we  feel  inadequate  within 
ourselves  to  cope  with  our  problems. 
Still,  by  placing  ourselves  prayer- 
fully in  harmony  with  the  spiritual 
forces  around  us,  we  may  enjoy  pro- 
tection from  danger,  guidance  in  our 
daily  affairs,  and  the  calm  faith  that 
right    triumphs. 


—Religious  News  Service  Photo 

323 


One  of  the  points  at  which  the 
biblical  narrative  touches  the 
Book  of  Mormon  narrative  is  the 
seizure  and  murder  of  the  sons  of 
Zedekiah,  king  of  Judah.  When  Zede- 
kiah  and  members  of  his  household 
and  staff  fled  by  the  Jericho  Road 
at  the  end  of  the  Chaldean  siege, 
they  were  overtaken  and  carried  to 
Riblah  for  a  summary  trial.  After 
judgment,  the  Chaldean  army  "slew 
the    sons     of    Zedekiah    before    his 


The  ESCAPE  of  MULEK 


*%*%w 


"1* 


eyes 

In  the  Book  of  Mormon  account, 
one  of  the  sons  of  Zedekiah  escaped 
death,  and  was  brought  into  the 
Western  Hemisphere,  where  his  name 
Mulek  became  attached  to  a  peo- 
ple, a  city,  and  a  land.2  It  is 
more  than  possible  that  his  name 
is  rather  a  title  than  a  proper  name, 
being  indistinguishable  from  the  He- 
brew MLK  "a  king.";i  The  applica- 
tion of  such  a  title  to  a  sole  surviving 
son  of  Zedekiah,  who  was  thus  heir 
apparent  to  the  throne  of  Judah, 
appears  perfectly  consistent.  In  bibli- 
cal and  Book  of  Mormon  names  alike, 
the  root  MLK,  a  king,  is  a  common- 
place element.4 

The  reconciliation  of  the  biblical 
account,  implying  extermination  of 
the  male  royal  line,  with  the  Book 
of  Mormon  account  of  an  escape  by 
one  son,  requires  a  critical  examina- 
tion of  the  biblical  language  used, 
in  the  light  of  parallel  biblical  narra- 
tives, as  well  as  an  examination  of 
the  circumstantial  evidence  available, 
in  and  out  of  the  Bible. 

At  the  outset  consideration  must  be 
given  to  the  probable  ages  of  the 
sons  of  Zedekiah.  This  king  ascend- 
ed the  throne  at  twenty-one  years 
of  age5  and  perished  at  thirty-one  in 
the  eleventh  year  of  his  reign. G  Ac- 
cording to  Jewish  tradition,  the  num- 
ber of  his  sons  who  were  slain  by  the 
order   of   Nebuchadnezzar   was   ten.7 

Assuming  that  Zedekiah  married 
at  the  early  age  of  eighteen,  his  eldest 
child  could  not  have  exceeded  twelve 
or  thirteen  years  of  age  at  the  time 
of  his  death.  If  ten  of  his  sons  were 
slain,  and  in  the  meantime  he  had 
a  family  of  daughters,  as  is  well 
attested,8  then  there  is  a  high  prob- 


hy  Ariel  L.  Crowley \  Ph.D. 


'Numbers    refer    to    bibliography    at    end    of    article. 


ability  that  Mulek  was  a  mere  infant 
at  the  time  he  escaped.  This  prob- 
ability is  strongly  supported  by  the 
quite  uniform  habit  of  distinguishing- 
between  sons  and  male  infants  in 
biblical  accounts.  Examples  are  nu- 
merous. 

Thus,  Dathan  and  Abiram  came 
out  and  stood  in  the  doors  of  their 
tents  ".  .  .  and  their  wives,  and 
their  sons,  and  their  little  children. "!l 

So  also,  Ittai,  the  Gittite,  passed 
over  the  brook  Kidron,  ".  .  .  and  all 
his  men,  and  all  the  little  ones  that 
were  with  him."10 

In  the  temple  arrangements  set  up 
by  Hezekiah,  the  courses  of  the  priests 
were  set,  among  other  things,-  accord- 
ing ".  .  .  to  the  genealogy  of  all 
their  little  ones,  their  wives,  and 
their  sons,  and  their  daughters."11 

The  order  of  Haman,  in  Esther,  for 
the  destruction  of  the  Jews  carried 
the  directive  to  kill  all  the  Jews  ".  .  . 
both  young  and  old,  little  children 
and  women."12 

Even  the  commandment  given  for 
the  destruction  of  the  Canaanite  peo- 
ple under  Moses  made  the  same 
distinction.  The  Israelites  were  or- 
dered to  ".  .  .  smite  every  male 
thereof  with  the  edge  of  the  sword" 
excepting  ".  .  .  the  women,  and 
the  little  ones,  .  .  ."13 

This  commandment  gave  rise  to 
great  wrath  on  the  part  of  Moses 
when  it  was  literally  obeyed  in  the 
case  of  the  Midianite  invasion.  It 
is  said  that  the  Israelites  ".  .  .  warred 
against  the  Midianites,  as  the  Lord 
commanded  Moses;  and  they  slew  all 
the  males,"1*  whereas,  in  point  of 
fact  they  spared  "all  the  women  .  .  . 
and  their  little  ones."15  When  Moses 
learned  of  this  literal  application  of 
the  law  requiring  the  sparing  of  chil- 
dren, he  issued  a  summary  order, 
"Now  therefore  kill  every  male  among 
the  little  ones."16 

While  instances  might  be  multi- 
plied, it  seems  thoroughly  settled  in 
the  samples   given   that  male  babies 


were  not  counted  among  the  sons 
or  men  of  Israel  as  such  and  were 
the  subjects  of  a  special  immunity, 
along  with  women  and  girls. 

Pursuing  a  rule  of  construction 
which  has  come  to  be  a  standard  in 
modern  law,  that  words  once  used 
in  a  particular  sense  are  presumed 
to  be  used  always  in  the  same  sense 
in  the  same  document  unless  dis- 
tinguished specially,17  the  word  sons 
in  the  notices  of  the  death  of  the 
sons  of  Zedekiah  excludes  "the  little 
ones"  on  biblical  precedent. 

It  is,  moreover,  a  common  thing 
in  the  Bible,  for  historians  to  use 
all-inclusive  terms,  without  intending 
in  the  least  either  to  mislead  or  to 
misrepresent  the  facts.  Instances 
closely  paralleling  the  case  of  the  sons 
of  Zedekiah  are  easily  found. 

In  the  case  of  the  household  of 
Ahaziah,  the  king,  it  is  written  that 
his  mother  Athaliah,  ".  .  .  arose 
and  destroyed  all  the  seed  royal."18 
Athaliah  herself  thought  that  was 
exactly  what  she  had  done,  and  ruled 
for  six  years  on  that  premise.19  In 
point  of  fact  a  girl  named  Jehoshaba 
".  .  .  took  Joash  the  son  of  Ahaziah, 
and  stole  him  from  among  the  king's 
sons  which  were  slain;  and  they  hid 
him,  even  him  and  his  nurse,  in  the 
bedchamber  from  Athaliah,  so  that 
he  was  not  slain."20 

In  connection  with  the  same 
slaughter  in  which  the  sons  of  Zede- 
kiah perished,  Jeremiah  declared  that 
".  .  .  the  king  of  Babylon  slew  all 
the  nobles  of  Judah,"21  yet  the  new 
governor,  Gedaliah,  was  shortly  there- 
after murdered  by  Ishmael  "of  the 
seed  royal"22  who  had  escaped  by 
hiding  in  Ammonite  country  during 
the  siege.2S  With  Ishmael  were  "the 
princes  of  the  king."24 

There  is  something  grimly  amus- 
ing in  the  accounts  of  the  destruction 
of  the  Midianites  and  Amalekites. 
Excepting  little  girls,  it  appears  that 
the  Midianite  people  were  utterly 
exterminated     under     Moses.25      But 


324  THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


v**v%*v% 


"Biblical  accounts  tell  of  the  seizure  and  murder  of  the  sons  of  Zedekiah,  king  of 
Judah.  In  the  Book  of  Mormon  account,  one  of  the  sons  of  Zedekiah  escaped  death 
and  came  to  the  Western  Hemisphere,  where  his  name  Mulek  became  attached  to  a 
people,  a  city,  and  a  land." 


some  time  later  the  Midianites  rose 
up  in  such  force  that  they  over- 
whelmed Israel  and  kept  them  in 
misery  for  seven  years.20  Similarly, 
it  is  written  that  Saul  reported  to 
the  prophet  Samuel,  saying  that  he 
had  ".  .  .  utterly  destroyed  the  Amal- 
ekites,"27  pursuant  to  a  directive 
from  Samuel  requiring  that  Saul  slay 
".  .  .  both  man  and  woman,  infant 
and    suckling,    .    .    ,"28      Yet    David, 


the  successor  of  Saul  found  it  nec- 
essary to  repeat  the  killing,  and  again 
".  .  .  left  neither  man  nor  woman 
alive."29  Notwithstanding  these  two 
destructions,  shortly  afterward  a  group 
of  four  hundred  Amalekites  kidnap- 
ped two  of  David's  wives,30  in  com- 
pany with  other  Amalekites,  and  es- 
caped on  camels  leaving  many  more 
Amalekites  dead  behind.31 

Instances  in  which  even  the  word 


WWWWW««WWHiVVVWH«*WW 


all  must  be  construed  to  mean  some- 
thing less  than  totality  are  many. 
A  few  will  suffice  to  demonstrate  the 
point.  According  to  the  record  at 
one  time  Solomon  held  an  eight-day 
feast  ".  .  .  and  all  Israel  with  him."32 
Again,  ".  .  .  the  king  and  all  the 
children  of  Israel  dedicated  the  house 
of  the  Lord."33  In  the  very  invasion 
at  the  time  of  Zedekiah,  despite  the 
record  of  many  who  escaped  into 
Egypt,34  it  was  recorded  that  young 
and  old,  "all"  were  given  into  the 
hand  of  the  Chaldean  invader.35  And 
as  a  last  example,  at  the  death  of  Saul, 
".  .  .  all  his  house  died  together."30 
Of  this  passage,  the  celebrated  com- 
mentator, Dr.  Adam  Clarke,  judged 
that  this  could  mean  that  those  who 
were  with  the  king  were  cut  off, 
nothing  more.37  It  is  apparent  in  all 
of  the  passages  cited  that  the  writers 
had  no  intention  of  denying  that 
there  were  exceptions.  "All"  seems 
to  have  been  used  to  mean  "the  bulk" 
or  perhaps  only  "representatives  of 
all." 

It  is  at  once  apparent  that  where 
the  word  all  is  not  used,  the  mere 
expression  being  ".  .  .  they  slew  the 
sons  of  Zedekiah  .  .  ."38  the  narra- 
tive is  even  weaker,  and  it  is  perfectly 
proper  to  reach  the  true  sense  by  in- 
ferring "they  slew  the  sons  of  Zede- 
kiah who  did  not  escape." 

Having  seen,  therefore,  that  the  ex- 
istence of  an  exception  in  the  escape 
of  Mulek  is  within  the  proper  sense 
of  the  record,  it  remains  to  be  seen 
whether  or  not  the  mechanics  of  the 
escape  are  in  any  way  indicated. 

Little  children,  as  nature  has  or- 
dained, and  more  particularly  among 
people  of  simple  life,  are  universally 
the  charge  of  their  mothers  and  sisters. 
At  the  escape  of  Zedekiah  from  Jeru- 
salem, his  wives  and  daughters  went 
with  him.  The  historian  Josephus 
details  it  thus:  "When  the  city  was 
taken  about  midnight,  and  the  ene- 
my's generals  were  entered  into  the 
temple,  and  when  Zedekiah  was  sen- 
sible of  it,  he  took  his  wives  and  his 
children,  and  his  captains  and  friends, 
and  with  them  fled  out  of  the  city 
through  the  fortified  ditch,  and 
through  the  desert."39  When  the  pur- 
suing soldiers  caught  up  with  the 
(Concluded  on  following  page) 


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THE  ESCAPE  OF  MULEK 


(Concluded  from  preceding  page) 

fugitives  near  Jericho,  many  of  those 
who  fled  the  city  with  Zedekiah  "left 
him  and  dispersed  themselves,  some 
one  way  and  some  another,  and 
every  one  resolved  to  save  himself."40 
"So  the  enemy  took  Zedekiah  alive 
when  he  was  deserted  by  all  but  a 
few,  with  his  children  and  his  wives." 
Those  who  were,  as  Dr.  Clarke  said 
in  his  commentary  on  the  passage, 
"most  probably  persons  who  belonged 
to  the  palace  and, harem  of  Zedekiah, 
some  of  them  his  own  concubines 
and  children." 

The  women,  with  whom,  as  before 
demonstrated,  would  be  found  the 
"little  ones"  were  remanded  into  the 
custody  of  Nebuzar-adan,  the  Chal- 
dean general,  and  by  him  turned 
over   to    Gedaliah    as   puppet   gover- 


nor 


41 


When  Ishmael,  kinsman  of  the 
dead  king,  treacherously  killed  Geda- 
liah, he  carried  away  with  him  the 
daughters  of  Zedekiah,  toward  the 
land  of  the  Ammonites,42  with  "all 
the  residue  of  the  people."  Johanan 
followed  quickly  in  pursuit,  where- 
upon the  people  who  had  gone  with 
Ishmael  joined  forces  with  Johanan, 
and  it  is  written  that  "the  mighty 
men  of  war,  and  the  women  and  the 
children"  fearing  to  return  to  Jeru- 
salem,  departed  to   go  into  Egypt.43 

It  is  made  eminently  clear  there- 
fore, that  whether  with  the  women 
who  were  turned  over  to  Nebuzar- 
adan,  or  behind  in  Jerusalem,  or  at 
Mizpah,  the  way  was  open  for  escape 
of  Mulek.  Indeed  the  narrative  of 
the  escape  of  the  "women  and  chil- 
dren" among  whom  were  the  daugh- 
ters of  Zedekiah,  furnishes  a  probable 
record  of  the  way  it  was  accomplished. 

There  is  a  strange  and  mysterious 
passage  of  scripture  which  is,  by  these 
happenings,  and  by  the  very  impli- 
cations of  escape  contained  in  the 
words  little  ones  as  including  male 
children,  for  the  first  time  made  un- 
derstandable: 

A  little  one  shall  become  a  thousand, 
and  a  small  one  a  strong  nation:  I 
the  Lord  will  hasten  it  in  his  time.44 

The  accomplishment  of  fulfilment 
of  this  prophecy  through  Mulek  by 
way  of  the  escape  of  the  women  of 
the  house  of  Zedekiah  is  indicated 
in  the  Book  of  Mormon  with  clarity. 


326 


Thus,  while  but  one  son  of  Zedekiah 
is  mentioned  as  having  escaped,  it  is 
written  in  the  plural  form  that  "they," 
the  "seed  of  Zedekiah  are  with  us, 
and  thev  were  driven  out  of  the  land 
of  Jerusalem,"  necessarily  implying 
women,  seed  of  Zedekiah,  i.e.,  his 
daughters.  That  the  "little  one"  be- 
came a  thousand  and  a  small  one  a 
strong  nation  is  manifest  from  the 
fact  that  they  were  exceedingly  nu- 
merous at  the  time  Mosiah  found 
them  and  brought  about  a  union  of 
countries.45 

It  will  be  seen  by  reference  to  the 
passage  cited,  wherein  complete  de- 
struction of  groups  is  first  declared 
and  then  an  exception  recited,  that 
the  only  distinguishing  characteristic 
between  the  common  biblical  ac- 
counts and  the  account  of  the  killing 
of  the  sons  of  Zedekiah  is  the  absence 
of  a  record  of  the  exception  within  the 
pages  of  the  Bible.  It  is  supplied  for 
the  first  time  in  the  Book  of  Mormon, 
which  stands  thus  as  a  necessary  link 
in  the  chain  of  records. 

Properly  read,  therefore,  the  record 
in  the  words  of  Jeremiah  and  II  Kings, 
as  supplemented  in  Helaman,  is  this: 

And  the  king  of  Babylon  slew  the  sons 
of  Zedekiah  before  his  eyes: 
All  except  it  were  Mulek.40 

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

m  Kings  25:5-7;  Jer.  39:6. 

2Heloman  6:10;  8:21;  Alma  51:26. 

3Gesenius,  Lexicon,  Ed.  Robinson,  1844,  p.  583; 
see  also  J.  M.  Sjodahl,  Introduction  to  the  Study  of 
the  Book  of  Mormon   (1927)   p.   140. 

"Gen.  36:12;  I  Chron.  6:40;  Dan.  2:37;  John  18:10; 
Alma  8:3;   20:2;  Omni  30. 

5  o  II  Kings  24:18;  25:2. 

7Ginzberg,    teg.    1V:293;    VI:382-3. 

sjer.    41:10;    Josephus,    Ant.    X:IX:4. 

»Num.   16:27. 

10II  Sam.    15:22. 

»II  Chron.   31:18. 

12Esth.  3:13. 

13Deut.   20:13-14. 

"Num.  31:7,  9,  17. 

**lbid.,  31:9. 

mbid.,  3i:17. 

1759  C.  J.   1003. 

,STT  Kin«s   11:1. 

mbid.,   11:3. 

wIbid.,   11:2. 

aJer.  39:6. 

^Ibid.,  41:1. 

^Josephus,  Ant.  X:IX:2. 

2*Jer.  41:1. 

KNum.   31:7-18. 

2Bludges  6:1-6. 

27'I  Sam.    15:20. 

mbid.,  15:3. 

wIbid.,  27:8-9. 

wlbid.,  30:5. 

™Ibid.,  30:17. 

32I  Kings  8:65. 

™Ibid.,  8:63. 

^Jer.  33-34. 

^II  Chron.  36:17. 

m  Chron.   10:6. 

^Commentary  on  I  Chron.  10:6. 

^II  Kings  25:7. 

39  «Josephus,  Ant.  X:VIII:2. 

"Idem,   X:IX:4. 

^Jer.  41:10. 

^Ibid.,  41:16-17. 

"Isaiah  60:22. 

"-"Omni   15,   17. 

"Jer.  39:6;   II  Kings  25:7;   Helaman  8:21. 

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□  No.  141  □  No.  76 

Name Student 

Address 

Town State _..:. 

I  farm acres.  Principal  crops  are 

My  IH  dealer  is 


327 


Happy  Mother1 s  Day^  Sweetheart:     b  Eik™  Gihhons 


To  a  little  girl  with  freckles  and  pigtails  a  mother  is  a 
queen  and  a  goddess.  She  moves  about,  automatically 
being  where  she  needs  to  be  for  the  little  girl's  every  wish, 
and  she  sort  of  unwinds  like  a  clock,  every  tick  represent- 
ing something  wonderful.  She  knows  all  the  stories  in 
the  world,  more,  in  fact,  than  all  the  schoolteachers  com- 
bined, the  answers  to  a  myriad  of-  unanswerable  ques- 
tions, and  is  beautiful  besides. 

Nothing  unhappy  ever  happens  to  her  because  she  is 
a  mother.  Laughter  or  tears,  love  or  hate — all  these 
seem  apart  from  the  mother  whom  the  little  girl  wor- 
ships. 

As  she  goes  into  her  teens,  the  girl  also  goes  from  pig- 
tails to  curls,  effortlessly  and  automatically,  of  course. 
Mother  can  do  everything.  The  girl  realizes  that  her 
mother  can  cook,  sew,  and  work  hard — qualities  more 
human  than  those  she  knew  in  her  mother  a  few  years 
ago — and  without  pathos  the  girl  lets  her  mother  do 
them.  After  all,  she  is  a  mother.  Mothers  are  still  won- 
derful, and  they  can  do  everything. 

But  when  a  girl,  through  one  experience,  then  an- 
other, begins  to  mature,  she  gradually  realizes  that  her 
mother  is  a  "person";  that  she  isn't  an  automatic,  un- 
winding, transfigured  angel,  or  a  bodiless,  gartless,  pas- 
sionless goddess — she  can  even  make  a  mistake.  A 
mother! 

Dear  Mother — ever  since  I  discovered  that  you  were 
a  "person,"  that  you  actually  thought,  lived,  laughed,  and 
loved  like  others,  that  you  were  me  in  a  few  years  and 
your  mother  a  few  years  ago,  I  have  had  to  form  a  new 
concept  of  a  mother.  I  have  lived  with  the  growing 
realization  which  has  formed  this  new  concept  for  years 
now. 

Like  a  child  who  is  delighted  with  the  Church  because 
of  Primary  parties  and  fun  in  Sunday  School,  I  as  a  child 
and  teen-ager  was  delighted  with  you.  And  just  as  a  few 
experiences  in  life  teach  us  what  the  Church  is  really 
about,  a  knowledge  that  thrills  us  deeply,  I  have  begun 
to  realize  what  a  mother  really  is,  and  I  am  in  awe. 
Mother  now  is  far  more  wonderful,  far  more  a  goddess 


and  far  more  lovable  as  a  human  being  than  she  was  as 
something  direct  from  the  seventh  heaven — because  we 
expect  miracles  from  the  supernatural,  but  when  humans 
perform  them,  that's  something.  And  mothers  do — every 
day!  Think,  Mother,  of  the  millions  of  questions,  tears, 
joys,  and  problems  Mother  is  there  to  solve  and  under- 
stand. 

Think  of  the  many  times  in  your  life,  Mother,  the 
many  times  every  day  when  your  whole  purpose  has  been 
helping  the  family,  or  friends,  or  the  needy  whom  you 
don't  even  know.    This  purpose  is  your  life,  all  your  life. 

For  every  washing,  ironing,  scrubbing,  every  sleepless 
night  during  sieges  of  mumps,  rheumatic  fever,  and  polio, 
every  meal  prepared,  whether  it  is  bread  and  gravy  or 
steak,  for  every  prayer  you  have  offered  in  behalf  of 
others,  for  every  unselfish  deed  of  your  whole  life,  you 
shall  have  a  star  in  your  crown.  And  you  shall  have  a 
crown. 

Yes,  you  are  a  "person."  You,  like  all  of  us,  can  have 
stomach  aches,  bad  days  and  bad  nights.  But,  Mother, 
my  dear,  may  you  have  very  few  more  in  the  next  fifty 
years.  I  wish  that  God  would  give  you  today,  sort  of 
in  advance,  the  rest  from  all  trouble,  care  and  sorrow 
which  he  promises  to  people  like  you  in  the  scriptures. 
(Alma  40:11-12.)  You  are  on  the  right  track.  You  are 
a  good  mother — helpful  and  loving.  You  and  Daddy  have 
had  a  material  struggle  providing  for  us,  and  it  is  a  spirit- 
ual struggle  to  keep  our  thoughts  always  in  harmony 
with  His.  But  it  is  worth  while,  and  we  can  receive  un- 
bounded aid  from  Him. 

You  know,  Mother,  even  as  you  know  you  are  reading 
this,  that  He  is  there,  he  is  mindful  of  you,  loves  you  and 
will  help  you  in  all  you  do.  You  have  known  that  for  as 
long  as  you  can  remember.  Experience  has  taught  me 
that  to  seek  God's  help  in  doing  my  best  and  then  worry- 
ing about  things  is  just  a  lack  of  faith. 

Dear  Mother,  will  this  do  for  a  Mother's  Day  gift?  I 
would  like  to  have  sent  you  so  many  wonderful  things 
tied  in  pink  ribbon — but  all  I  had  was  blue  ribbon. 

Abundant  love  on  another  Mother's  Day.  May  the 
days  between  now  and  the  next  one  be  joyous. 

Love, 


To  a  little  girl,  a  mother 
is  a  queen  and  a  goddess. 

— H.  Armstrong  Roberts  photo 


M^f^^^^  tfmrf6 


328 


THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


roll  through  your  harvest- 


SELF-PROPELLED  MODEL  100 
with  "POWER-CRATER"  WD-45  TRACTOR  ENGINE 

$4,095  with  9-ft.  header,  f.o.b.  factory 

$4,245  with  12-ft.  header,  f.o.b.  factory 

Bin  or  Bagger  Equipment  Optional 


ON  TIME 


When  heads  become  heavy  with  the 
weight  of  grain  or  seed — time  is  most 
important.  You  can  make  every  har- 
vest hour  count  for  more  with  an 
ALL-CROP  Harvester. 

The  self-propelled  model  100  car- 
ries its  weight  low  for  sloping-land 
stability  ...  is  well-balanced  for 
easy  handling  .  .  .  has  loads  of  power 
in  the  low-mounted  WD-45 
POWER-CRATER  tractor  engine. 

Both  self-propelled  and  tractor- 
pulled  ALL-CROP  Harvesters  have 
wide-flow  feed  .  .  .  get  more  of  the 
crop  into  the  machine — more  grain 
or  seed  out  of  the  crop.  Both  have 
the  well-known  ability  to  harvest 
more  crops  .  .  .  more  acres  .  .  .  for 
more  profit. 

This  year  be  ready  at  harvest 
time  with  your  own  ALL-CROP 
Harvester.  See  how  quickly  it  pays 
for  itself  with  the  rewards  of  a 
timely  harvest. 


NEW  "BIG-BIN"  MODEL  66 

UNLOADS  ON-THE-GO 

$1,250 

complete  with  PTO  attachment, 
f.o.b.  factory 

Big,  new  25-bushel  grain  bin  on 
the  Model  66  unloads  on-the-go 
.  .  .  instantly  controlled  from  the 
tractor  seat.  Empties  faster,  with 
new  big-capacity  auger  and  long, 
truck-high  delivery  spout. 


f  ALUS  CHALMERS  ) 

\  ■  TRACTOR    DIVISION  •         Ml  LWAU  K  E  E    1,   U.  S.  A.  M 


POWER-CRATER  and  ALL-CROP  ore  Allis-Chalmers  trademarks. 


ALL-CROP  Harvesters 


MAY  1955 


329 


James  Wotherspoon— Eagle  Scout 


by  Victor  Lmdblad 

SCOUT    EXECUTIVE    MT.    DIABLO    COUNCIL   BSA 


Henry  Drummond  once  said,  "The 
ultimate  goal  of  the  ethical  proc- 
ess is  the  perfecting  of  human 
character.  Consummation  of  happi- 
ness is  a  natural  outcome  of  the  per- 
fecting of  character,  but  the  perfect- 
ing can  be  achieved  only  through 
struggle,  through  discipline,  through 
resistance.  It  is  for  him  that  over- 
cometh  that  the  crown  of  life  is  re- 
served." 

In  perfecting  our  character  as  part 
of  life's  eternal  plan,  it  calls  for  the 
best  within  us,  even  though  we  are 
in  full  possession  of  every  physical 
sense  and  faculty.  Ofttimes,  however, 
we  are  prone  to  bemoan  our  lot  and 
attribute  our  failures  to  circumstance 
or  to  parents  or  folk  who  somehow 
do  not  seem  to  understand  and  ap- 
preciate us. 

Occasionally  we  are  shocked  from 
our  complacency  by  the  amazing  ac- 
complishment of  some  individual  who 
has  overcome  a  great  physical  handi- 
cap and  achieved  a  marked  measure 
of  success  in  a  given  field   and  has 


thus  gained   the  first  crown  of  life. 

Jimmie  Wotherspoon,  a  boy  blind 
from  birth,  recently  was  awarded 
scouting's  highest  recognition,  that  of 
Eagle  rank. 

At  the  California  School  for  the 
Blind  in  the  presence  of  friends  and 
prominent  citizens  and  leaders  of  the 
Bay  Area,  Jimmie's  grandmother, 
Mrs.  Mary  Baylor,  pinned  the  Eagle 
badge  upon  Jimmie  following  the 
colorful   and   impressive   investiture. 

Officials  present  paid  tribute  to  the 
indomitable  courage,  perseverance, 
dependability,  and  sterling  character 
of  this  young  man. 

In  response  to  the  commendation 
and  congratulations  given  him,  Jim- 
mie fervently  thanked  all  those  who 
had  helped  and  encouraged  him,  par- 
ticularly his  scoutmaster,  Mr.  Budgen, 
the  assistant  scoutmaster,  Mr.  Harde- 
man, his  bishop,  W.  B.  Barton,  and 
the  superintendent  of  the  California 
School  for  the  Blind,  Dr.  Barthhold 
Lowenfeld.  He  challenged  the  other 
blind  Scouts  of  the  troop  to  live  up 


James    Wotherspoon   receiving    his    Eagle   badge   from    his   grandmother,    Mrs.    Mary 
Baylor.     Scout  Executive  Victor  Lindblad  is  looking  on. 

330 


to  their  capacity  and  to  overcome 
every  seeming  obstacle  and  impossible 
task. 

Jimmie  explained  how  they  could 
learn  to  identify  birds  in  the  field  by 
their  song,  to  learn  flowers  by  touch, 
and  many  physical  phenomena  by 
sound. 

He  further  challenged  his  brother 
Scouts: 

A.  To  keep  themselves  physically 
strong,  mentally  awake,  and  morally 
straight 

B.  To  live  by  the  code  of  the  Scout 
oath  and  law 

C.  To  think  through  their  prob- 
lems   clearly    and   without   prejudice 

D.  To  respond  to  life's  highest 
ideals  and  culture 

E.  To  attain  spiritual  strength 

F.  To  have  faith  in  God  and  en- 
courage others  to  worship 

G.  To  develop  their  talents  and 
make  their  own  way  in  the  world 

H.  To  make  full  and  constructive 
use  of  their  time  and  opportunities 

I.  To  help  preserve  the  American 
way  of  life  and  the  blessings  they 
enjoy  through  the  Bill  of  Rights 

J.  To  have  courage  when  things 
desired  fail  to  materialize,  to  have 
poise  and  be  calm  when  problems  be- 
set them,  to  have  hope  when  disap- 
pointment dampens  them,  and  when 
effort  seems  in  vain  to  have  the  readi- 
ness and  wisdom  to  begin  all  over 
again. 

At  the  close  of  Jimmie's  response, 
there  was  not  a  dry  eye  in  the  audi- 
ence. It  is  conceivable  that  every  in- 
dividual present  made  a  silent  resolve 
never  to  complain  again  and  to  make 
life's  adversities  steppingstones  to 
high  charatcer  and  worthy  accom- 
plishments. 

Jimmie  entered  Troop  2  at  the 
California  School  for  the  Blind,  spon- 
sored by  the  Lions  Club  of  Berkeley, 
California,  in  1945.  Under  the  sym- 
pathetic leadership  of  Scoutmaster 
George  Budgen,  a  holder  of  the  Sil- 
ver Beaver,  and  Assistant  Scoutmaster 
Reed  Hardeman,  Jimmie  made  rapid 
progress. 

(Concluded  on  page  332) 
THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


Prog  ress 


Report 


Your  Gas  Company,  continuing  its  accelerated 
program  during  1954,  brought  natural  gas  to  more 
than  11,000  additional  customers.  This  increased 
the  total  customers  we  serve  as  of  January  1,  1955 
to  more  than  115,000,  of  which  about  114,000  are 
residential  and  small  commercial  users. 


It  is  significant  to  observe  that  the  average  price  of  natural 
gas  paid  by  our  residential  customers  25  years  ago  was  82  cents 
per  thousand  cubic  feet  as  compared  with  52  cents  in  1954. 

In  its  twenty-sixth  year,  Mountain  Fuel  Supply  Company 
is  steadily  increasing  its  scope  of  operation  in  the  Intermountain 
West. 

Acceleration  is  occurring  all  along  the  line  —  in  exploration, 
in  number  of  wells  drilled,  in  new  construction,  in  increased 
taxes  and  payrolls,  all  of  which  contributes  toward  community 
anl  state  advancement. 

The  Company's  proved  gas  reserves  are  more  than  five  times 
as  great  as  the  gas  reserves  in  1929  although  since  that  time, 
the  number  of  customers  has  increased  more  than  six  times. 
All  residence  requirements  in  the  area  have  been  met  and  in 
addition,  the  Company  has  supplied  substantial  amounts  of 
gas  to  industrial  users  and  others. 

Ours  is  a  long-range  program,  the  ever-increasing  objective 
of  which  is  to  continue  to  meet  the  needs  of  this  fast-growing 


Mfc, 


MOUNTAIN   FUEL  SUPPLY  COMPANY 

Serving   68   Utah    and   Wyoming   Communities 


MAY  1955 


JAMES  WOTHERSPOON— EAGLE  SCOUT 


(Concluded  from  page  330) 
At  the  time  Jimmie  finished  his 
second  class  requirements,  he  devel- 
oped a  heart  ailment  which  restricted 
his  activities.  He  was  not  allowed 
to  engage  in  any  work  calling  for 
physical  exertion. 

Through  his  indomitable  will  and 
courage,  he  overcame  his  heart  ail- 
ment and  continued  his  schoolwork 
and  scouting  advancement.  He  some- 
how found  time  to  serve  as  patrol 
leader,  senior  patrol  leader,  junior 
assistant  scoutmaster,  and  finally 
assistant  scoutmaster. 

Jimmie  dreamed  a  great  dream — 
to  attain  the  rank  of  Eagle,  to  be  an 
exemplary  leader  among  his  fellows 
and  in  the  community,  to  study  law, 
and  to  live  his  religion,  and  to  mag- 
nify his  priesthood  calling. 

This  young  man  has  the  rare 
ability  of  deep  concentration  and 
seems  to  catch  and  remember  all  im- 
portant things  as  he  reads  them  or 
as  they  are  told  to  him. 

The  part  of  the  oath  "To  help 
other  people  at  all  times"  is  a  living 
part  of  Jimmie's  life.  He  patiently 
explains  over  and  over  again  the 
things  he  has  learned  to  those  who 
are  handicapped  as  he  is  through 
the  loss  of  sight. 

He  is  a  member  of  the  Balboa 
Ward,  and  Bishop  W.  B.  Barton  re- 
ports that  Jimmie  has  advanced 
through  the  various  callings  of  the 
priesthood,  having  served  as  presi- 
dent of  the  teachers'  quorum  and  in- 
structor in  the  priests'  and  elders' 
quorums.  He  is  at  present  a  Sunday 
School  teacher  and  a  teacher  of  the 
elders'  quorum. 

As  a  stake  missionary,  he  has  been 
instrumental  in  bringing  the  gospel 
to  many  people.  Two  recent  con- 
verts, an  army  colonel  and  an  in- 
structor in  swimming  and  life  saving, 
pay  high  tribute  to  Jimmie's  mis- 
sionary efforts. 

Even  though  he  is  an  A  student  at 
the  University  of  California,  study- 
ing law,  and  an  assistant  scoutmaster 
in  Troop  2  of  Berkeley,  he  never 
misses  his  stake  quorum  meeting  or 
his  ward  leadership  meetings. 

Both  Bishop  Barton  and  Scout- 
master Budgen  attest  to  the  tremen- 
dous positive  influence  exerted  by  Jim- 
mie in  the  lives  of  the  hundreds  of 
young  people  with  whom  he  asso- 
ciates. 
332 


He  has  developed  his  musical  tal-  tured  young  man  has  brought  honor 

ents   and  plays  the  piano  well,   and  and  recognition  to  himself,  his  fam- 

sings  in  two  ward  choirs.  ily,  his  leaders,  his  Scout  troop,  his 

This    dignified,    unassuming,    cul-  Church,  and  his  community. 

^Mnd    uje  S^>kali  ^J\now  tke  ^Jrvitk  . . . 

Richard  L.  Evans 

Not  too  infrequently  it  would  be  well  to  turn  our  attention 
to  Pilate's  timeless  question,  "What  is  Truth?" — for  on 
the  answer  hangs  all  we  are  or  ever  hope  to  be.  On  the 
answer  hangs  our  health  and  happiness,  our  peace  and  pur- 
pose, and  the  very  issues  of  life  and  death,  the  very  meaning 
of  time  and  eternity.  (We  can  never  be  assured  of  health  or 
happiness  or  peace  or  settled  purpose,  unless  we  face  the 
facts,  the  truth,  about  ourselves,  our  very  nature,  and  about 
the  things  we  should  or  shouldn't  partake  of  and  the  things 
we  should  or  shouldn't  do.)  "What  is  truth?"  It  has  been 
variously  defined.  Shakespeare  said  of  it:  "Truth  is  truth 
to  the  end  of  reckoning"1 — which  is  very  like  another  defini- 
tion that  denotes  truth  as  the  absolute  opposite  of  things 
changing  and  transitory:  ".  .  .  Truth  is  knowledge  of  things 
as  they  are,  and  as  they  were,  and  as  they  are  to  come."2 
Of  this  we  may  be  sure:  Truth  doesn't  depend  upon  the 
theories  and  opinions  of  people.  If  men  are  in  error,  and 
if  we  follow  them  in  their  errors,  that  won't  change  truth. 
Socrates  suggested  this  when  he  said:  "If  you  will  be  per- 
suaded by  me,  pay  little  attention  to  Socrates,  but  much 
more  to  the  truth."3  Some  fear  the  truth.  Some  have  rea- 
son to.  Some  suppose  it  to  be  dangerous,  frightening,  un- 
comfortable— and  often  it  is.  Truth  is  so  dangerous  it  some- 
times makes  martyrs  of  men.  And  surely  it  is  dangerous 
and  fatal  to  falsehood.  It  is  dangerous  and  disturbing  to 
complacency,  to  lazy  thinking.  It  is  disturbing  to  minds 
that  are  too  comfortably  closed.  And  because  it  is  dangerous 
and  disturbing  there  are  always  some  who  would  suppress 
it  and  some  who  would  dispense  it  sparingly.  But  disturb- 
ing or  not,  we  are  faced  with  this  fact:  Truth  is  never  so 
dangerous  as  falsehood,  never  so  dangerous  as  error,  never 
so  dangerous  as  deceit,  and  not  nearly  so  dangerous  as  ig- 
norance is.  Perhaps  the  most  satisfying  utterance  of  all 
time  as  to  truth  is  this  sentence  from  our  Lord  and  Savior: 
"And  ye  shall  know  the  truth,  and  the  truth  shall  make  you 
free."4  With  this  kind  of  counsel  we  cannot  safely  do  other 
than  seek  the  truth  wherever  it  is,  wherever  it  leads.  Theories 
come  and  go.  Popular  opinions  prevail  for  awhile.  Fashions 
have  their  cycles,  and  conflicting  ideas  have  their  seasons  of 
acceptance — but  "the  spirit  of  truth  is  of  God"5  and  "abideth 
forever"5  "and  hath  no  end."5  God  help  us  to  seek,  to  see, 
to  say,  to  accept,  to  live  by  the  truth,  and  find  it  wherever 
it  is,  and  follow  it  where  it  takes  us — for  it  is  not  nearly  so 
dangerous  as  ignorance  is. 

jke   SpoLn     lA/orJ      ™om  temple  square 

PRESENTED  OVER  KSL  AND  THE  COLUMBIA  BROADCASTING 


SYSTEM,  FEBRUARY  27,   1955 


Copyright,    1955 


Shakespeare,    Measure    for    Measure,    Act    V. 

2D.  &  C.  93:24. 

3Socrates;    in    Plato,    Phacdo. 

4John   8:32. 

5D.   &  C.   93:26;    1:39;   88:66. 

THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


IT'S  PERFORMANCE  THAI  COUNTS ! 

In  his  car  CAPTAIN  ROGER  DON  RAE  uses  FUTE-FUEL  containing 
the  Super  Aviation  fuel  component  Di-isopropyl! 


"I  fly  one  of  the  new  Super-G  Constella-  I  use  it  regularly  in  my  own  car,  and  I 

tions  for  Trans  World  Airlines.  Of  course,  always  get  wonderful  performance." 
I  am  familiar  with  Phillips  66  Aviation  •—} 

Gasoline  because  TWAusesJt  regularly.  nO^Un^P  /^P 


It's  the  Avgas  with  added  Di-isopropyl 
"Now  Phillips  is  putting  Di-isopropyl 


in  its  automobile  gasoline,  too.  New 
Phillips  66  FLITE-FUEL  is  the  only  auto- 
mobile gasoline  with  added  Di-isopropyl. 


Captain  Roger  Don  Rae 
Trans  World  Airlines 


HIGHER  OCTANE!  New  FLITE-FUEL  is  the  only  gasoline  to 
which  is  added  the  super  aviation  fuel  component  Di-isopropyl.  And 
today's  FLITE-FUEL  is  better  than  ever.  Both  new  FLITE-FUEL  and 
new  Phillips  66  Gasoline  have  been  fortified  for  increased  power, 
higher  octane,  longer  mileage.  Fill  up  at  your  Phillips  66  Dealer's. 

In  Driveway  Service,  too 

ffi  Tkt/bmwce  Thtf  Counts! 

SEE  YOUR  PHILLIPS  66  DEALER! 

MAY  1955 


333 


tt 


What  a 


wonderful 


way  to  start 


the  day! 


■ »» 


^BstdfCWke^ 


"If  you're  new  to  the  West, 
here's  something  different 
you'll  surely  want  to  try," 
says  Betty  Crocker.  "It's 
Wheat  Hearts  — a  hot  cereal 
with  the  most  delightful 
creamy  wheat -cereal  taste. 
It's  extra  nourishing,  too. 
And  so  easy  to  fix." 

6  TIMES  RICHER.  Contains 
added  wheat  nutrients  .  .  . 
enough  to  make  it  6  times 
richer  in  vitamin  B-l  than 
whole  wheat  itself.  Wheat 
Hearts  provides  energy  and 
vigor.  Serve  every  day.  It's 
Sperry  good ! 


Switch  to 

WHEAT 
HEARTS 

the  hot  cereal  recommended  by 

^Bsttcj"  Cnocken^ 


OF    GENERAL     MILLS 


334 


"Keep  Fit.  Be  a  Man" 

(Continued  from  page  305) 
drinking  was  uncontrolled.  His  cas- 
ual associations  with  women  became 
intimate  and  wicked.  His  habit  of 
satisfying  whatever  he  lusted  after 
ran  wild.  His  conduct  became  more 
and  more  violent,  and  his  standards 
sank  lower  and  lower.  Recently  he 
had  what  is  probably  the  most  terri- 
ble experience  a  man  could  have  in 
mortality:  that  of  listening  to  a  judge 
impose  sentence  upon  him  for  having 
committed  a  murder.  Thus,  a  man 
with  everything  in  his  favor  became 
completely  destroyed,  in  body  and  in 
soul,  because  of  his  inability  to  bridle 
his  habits. 

The  most  magnificent  specimen  of 
true  manhood  and  virility  that  I  have 
ever  known  is  represented  in  the  per- 
son of  our  own  beloved  President 
David  O.  McKay.  The  fruits  of 
righteous  living,  of  self-conquest,  and 
of  obedience  to  the  eternal  laws  of 
health  and  well-being  are  represented 
in  him.  I  thank  my  Heavenly  Father 
for  the  noble  example  which  he  has 
set. 

Occasionally  I  have  visited  the 
famous  Hoover  Dam,  which  controls 
the  turbulent  Colorado  River.  This 
is  the  highest  dam  in  the  world,  and 
in  some  respects,  the  most  remarkable 
feat  of  engineering  ever  devised  by 
man's  ingenuity.  Its  crest  towers 
some  735  feet  into  the  air,  and  its  base 
is  over  650  feet  thick.  The  most  im- 
pressive thing  about  the  dam  is  its 
strength.  This  giant  shield  of  re- 
inforced concrete  holds  back  over 
32,000,000  acre-feet  of  water,  which 
produces,  at  the  base  of  the  dam,  a 
pressure  of  45,000  pounds  each  square 
foot.  Think  of  holding  back  45,000 
pounds  of  pressure  on  every  square 
foot  of  surface.  And  yet  the  dam  was 
built  to  withstand  pressures  at  least 
twice  that  great,  and  more!  This 
extra  strength  is  known  as  the  safety 
factor. 

Every  young  man  should  build  in- 
to his  life  a  safetv  factor — he  should 
be  stronger  than  the  worst  thing  that 
can  happen  to  him,  and  then  some. 

Mr.  A.  Z.  Conrad  once  said:  "There 
is  a  hollow-eyed,  dough-faced  vacancy 
wherever  men  and  women  defy  laws 
of  health  and  vigor  and  give  way  to 
sensuality.  The  law  of  the  harvest  is 
inexorable.  Nature's  bill  must  be 
paid  on  demand.  *  *  *     The  amount 

(Concluded  on  page  336) 
THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


this  much  STILBESTROL  has  to  go 

a  long  way-musf  be  mixed  just  right! 


and  Purina  s  Exclusive 

MICRO-MIXING  Process  does  this  job! 


Mixing  Vi  ounce  of  stilbestrol  into  one  ton  of 
cattle  feed  presents  a  big  problem  to  most  feed 
companies.  But  this  kind  of  mixing  is  just  routine 
for  Purina's  Micro-Mixing  .  .  .  and  only  Purina 
Chows  are  Micro-Mixed. 

Just  Vi  ounce  of  stilbestrol  in  one  ton  of  feed 
means  it  is  added  in  the  proportion  of  only  1 
part  to  90,800  parts.  Purina's  Micro-Mixing  proc- 
ess is  accurate  to  the  I  j '10,000,000  part!  So  you  can 
rest  assured  when  you  feed  Purina  Steer  Fatena 
or  Beef  Chow  with  stilbestrol  that  every  bite  is 
mixed  just  right. 

And  accurate  mixing  of  stilbestrol  is  extremely 
important.  You  want  each  steer  to  get  just  the 
right  amount  every  day  he's  on  feed  ...  so  he'll 
produce  maximum  gains  ...  so  you  can  go  to 
market  with  an  even  bunch  of  cattle.  Too  much 
stilbestrol  in  the  steer's  daily  ration  can  prove 
toxic.  So  rely  on  Purina's  Micro-Mixing  process 
to  mix  and  blend  every  bite  just  right. 


Next  time  you're  in  town  drop  by  your  Purina 
Dealer's  and  ask  him  to  tell  you  more  about 
Purina  Steer  Fatena  and  Beef  Chow  with  stil- 
bestrol. He's  the  only  man  in  town  who  can  supply 
you  with  Micro-Mixed  Purina  Chows. 

YOUR  PURINA  DEALER  HAS  THE  ANSWERS  TO  YOUR 
QUESTIONS   ABOUT   STILBESTROL    FEEDING. 


Bank  on  Purina 
to  Make  Your 
Feed  Dollars 
Count 


RALSTON   PURINA   COMPANY  •  Pocatello  •  Denver  •  Spokane  •  Oakland 


MAY  1955 


335 


•  B.Y.U. 

•  AIR  CRUISE 

•  TO 


A 


utinmNN 


Tour  leaves  August  1— returning 
September  2,  1955.  Places  visit- 
ed—Cuba, Panama,  Peru,  Chile, 
Argentina,  Uruguay,  Brazil,  and 
Puerto  Rico.  Tour  cost  $1550. 
This  includes  transporation,  ho- 
tels, meals,  sightseeing,  etc. 
Write  or  call  5-6552  or  5-5924 
for   trip  folder. 


UNIVERSAL 

^J ravel    Service 

Temple  Square   Hotel   -  Salt  Lake  City 


IT'S  EASY  TO  COOK 

WITH  AN 

ELECTRIC  RANGE 


ELECTRIC 
COOKING 

costs  the 
average  family 
only  about 
9C  a  day 


Be  Modern 
Live  Electrically 

UTAH  POWER  &  UGFft  CO. 


"KEEP  FIT.  BE  A  MAN" 


{Concluded  from  page  334) 
of  personal  energy  is  limited  and  has 
to  be  accounted  for.  Waste  it,  and 
you  cannot  have  it  when  the  demand 
is  greatest.  Burn  out  brain  and 
brawn  for  a  time,  and  you  are  as  sure 
to  becorne  a  useless,  slimy  slacker  as 
the  sun  is  to  rise  and  set.  *  *  *  There 
is  absolutely  no  greatness  that  is  not 


buttressed  with  goodness.  Brace  to 
the  splendid  day's  work.  Keep  fit. 
Be  a  man." 

May  God  help  us — each  of  us- — to 
be  men;  to  play  the  game  of  life  with 
all  of  our  strength,  and  to  preserve 
those  ideals  which  constitute  the  very 
meaning  of  life  itself,  I  pray  in  the 
name  of  Jesus  Christ.     Amen. 


5<A>^>^^\£N9^>^3^3^3\9^J\J^^^5^JVXCN^ 


m, 


breaks — 


ie  momma 
the  shadows  Hee  .  .  . 


Richard  L.  Evans 


A  sentence  recently  read  from  an  unknown  author  offers 
these  words  of  wise  and  comforting  counsel:  "Do  not 
distress  yourself  with  dark  imaginings:  Many  fears  are  born 
of  fatigue  and  loneliness.  .  .  .Ml  No  doubt  most  of  us  at 
times  have  turned  our  troubles  over  in  the  hours  of  the 
night,  when  sleep  has  fled  from  us.  And  in  the  dark  hours 
of  night  troubles  tend  to  be  multiplied  and  magnified.  If 
our  loved  ones  are  out  and  overdue,  it  isn't  difficult  to 
imagine  dark  and  dire  things — in  the  hours  of  the  night. 
And  then,  finally,  as  they  return,  well  and  whole,  the  load 
is  lifted,  and  likely  we  wonder  that  we  so  much  feared  and 
fretted.  The  shades  of  discouragement  and  despondency  are 
darker  and  deeper  in  the  hours  of  night,  and  small  things 
loom  large,  and  large  things  sometimes  seem  utterly  in- 
surmountable. In  the  restless  hours  of  night  it  isn't  diffi- 
cult to  imagine  all  manner  of  maladies  and  malignancies. 
Indeed,  on  a  dark  and  sleepless  night,  with  all  its  tossings 
and  turnings,  we  could  churn  up  many  troubles  inside  our- 
selves. Job  poignantly  complained  that  "wearisome  nights 
are  appointed  to  me.  ^[When  I  lie  down,  I  say,  When  shall 
I  arise,  and  the  night  be  gone?  and  I  am  full  of  tossings  to 
and  fro  unto  the  dawning  of  the  day."2  But  despite  all  real 
or  imagined  difficulty  and  discouragement  that  come  with 
darkness,  the  dawn  does  come,  and  the  load  does  lighten 
with  the  coming  of  daylight.  Even  when  our  worries  are 
real,  and  even  when  they  don't  altogether  disappear,  the 
light  of  day  tends  to  lift  and  lighten  them.  Thank  God  for 
light,  for  the  dawning  of  each  new  day,  for  the  reassuring 
brightness  of  the  sun — for  much  of  what  darkens  and  dis- 
turbs us  doesn't  seem  so  darkly  serious,  so  utterly  insur- 
mountable, in  the  daylight  as  it  did  at  night.  And  because 
the  darkness  distorts,  because  it  clouds  and  conceals,  in 
darkness  we  should  make  no  needless  decisions  and  reach  no 
needless  conclusions,  but  wait  to  look  at  our  problem  in  the 
light — wait  for  the  natural  waking  hour,  when,  in  the  words 
of  the  hymn,  "the  morning  breaks;  the  shadows  flee."3 

Uke    Spoken      lA/ord       FROM  TEMPLE  SQUARE 

PRESENTED  OVER  KSL  AND  THE  COLUMBIA  BROADCASTING 
SYSTEM,    MARCH  6,    1955 

Copyright,    1955 


336 


Author  Unknown. 

2Job  7:3-4. 

sFrom   a   hymn   by   Parley   P.    Pratt. 

"  THE  IMPROVElviENT^ERA 


Families  agree  on  KSL-TV 

The  viewer  is  the  number  one  consideration  when  planning  the 
Channel  5  program  schedule.    KSL-TV  is  proud  that,  in  the  past  season 
its  programming  has  met  such  public  approval  in  the  Mountain  West. 
Programming  in  the  family  interest  will  continue  as  KSL-TV's  standard. 
It's  important  to  have  families  agree  on  what  they  see- 
when    it's   on    KSL-TV. 


im  wvj/  wCaji;  -Uj^U  k«. 


MAY  1955 


337 


ARCHAEOLOGY  AND  THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON 


(Continued  from  page  319) 

those  two  families  of  probably  eight 
women,  it  was  apparent  that  the  in- 
fant mortality  is  terrifically  high.  The 
Lacadon  Indians  are  a  vanishing  peo- 
ple. The  late  Dr.  Morley  stated  that 
there  are  approximately  two  hundred 
of  them,4  but  our  careful  inquiries  led 
us  to  conclude  that  there  are  probably 
not  more  than  one  hundred. 

Upon  being  invited  into  the  In- 
dians' small  thatched  houses,  we  ob- 
served that  they  had  no  bedding  nor 
furniture;  however,  they  did  possess 
a  few  dishes  and  a  grinder  used  for 
grinding  corn.  It  appeared  that  the 
entire  family  would  probably  cuddle 
together  at  nighttime  on  a  little  straw 
mat  which  lay  in  the  corner  of  the 
room.  Their  extreme  poverty  touched 
our  hearts,  and  so  we  gave  them  all 
the  small  articles  that  were  in  our 
pockets  and  regretted  that  we  hadn't 
more  to  give;  for  example,  I  gave  a 
wooden  clothespin  to  the  woman  the 
group  called  "Grandma."  She  seemed 
delighted  and  two  days  later  was  still 
holding  it  in  her  hand.  We  also  gave 
them  such  items  as  pocket  combs, 
pocketknives,  pill  bottles,  soap,  salt, 
flashlight  batteries,  a  pistol,  and  sev- 
eral boxes  of  bullets.  These  primitive 
folk  were  as  happy  as  children  on 
Christmas  morning. 

While  waiting  for  the  men  to  re- 
turn from  hunting,  Otto  Done,  using 
a  minute  camera,  took  photographs  of 
the  Indians.  They  beheld  their  own 
likeness  with  astonishment,  each  one 
exclaiming,  "Who  is  this?"  when 
shown  his  own  likeness.  This  seemed 
to  be  a  new  experience  for  them. 

Probably  the  one  thing  which  im- 
pressed me  most  about  the  Lacadon 
Indians  was  the  whiteness  of  their 
skin.  One  of  the  women  actually 
had  red  hair,  and  her  skin  was  as 
white  as  ours.  Jose  Petit,  a  man,  also 
had  red  hair  and  white  skin.  The 
color  of  all  the  others  whom  we  saw 
ranged  from  white  to  a  slightly  darker 
cast. 

While  visiting  in  Guatemala  ap- 
proximately three  weeks  before  our 
trip  to  Bonampak,  I  was  informed 
by  an  official  guide  that,  generally 
speaking,  the  Quiche  Maya  Indians 
of  Guatemala  were  nearly  white  and 
that  there  was  another  tribe  of  In- 
dians— -a  primitive,  wild  people,  liv- 
ing in  the  jungles  of  southern  Mexico, 

*Morley,   op.  cifc,   p.    180. 

338 


known  as  Lacadons — who  were  really 
white.  When  I  received  the  fore- 
going information,  I  had  no  idea  that 
I  would  have  the  privilege  of  asso- 
ciating for  three  days  with  the  latter 
people,  but  suddenly  and  unexpected- 
ly we  found  ourselves  being  enter- 
tained by  them. 

The  Lacadon  Indians  are  very 
small  in  stature:  the  men  are  ap- 
proximately four  and  one- half  feet  to 
five  feet  tall  and  the  women  approxi- 
mately six  inches  shorter.  The  ma- 
jority of  them  have  black  hair.  Both 
the  men  and  the  women  part  their 
hair  in  the  middle,  permitting  it  to 
grow  long  and  fall  loosely  down  their 
backs.  They  merely  push  it  back 
from  each  side  of  their  faces.  Their 
hair  has  the  appearance  of  seldom 
having  been  combed  and  rarely  if 
ever  having  been  washed,  and  so  Jose 
Davila  gave  the  women  a  bar  of  soap 
and  taught  them  how  to  wash  their 
heads. 

The  clothing  worn  by  both  sexes 
is  made  of  canvas,  which  appears  to 
be  the  same  type  we  use  in  making 
tents.  Possibly  these  Indians  in- 
herited tents  left  in  the  jungles  by 
chicle  workers  from  which  they  made 
their  clothing;  but  since  the  late  Dr. 
Morley  maintained  that  the  Lacadon 
Indians  did  a  certain  amount  of  weav- 
ing of  coarse  cloth  from  a  wild  cotton 
which  grows  in  the  jungles,  they  could 
have  actually  woven  this  canvas -like 
cloth.5 

Men,  women,  and  children  all 
wear  similar  clothing,  their  dresses 
fitting  loosely  and  hanging  from  their 
shoulders  nearly  to  their  ankles.  Since 
the  men  are  practically  beardless, 
it  is  difficult  to  distinguish  them  from 
the  women;  however,  the  men  are 
slightly  taller  and  larger. 

Naturally,  my  experiences  with 
these  Indians  caused  me  to  recall  the 
Book  of  Mormon  account  of  the 
Nephites  being  "a  white  and  delight- 
some people."*5  Although  the  Laca- 
don Indians  are  quite  white  in  color, 
it  is  evident  that  they  have  degener- 
ated greatly  from  the  cultural  stand- 
ards of  their  predecessors  of  Book 
of  Mormon  days. 

We  waited  more  than  an  hour  for 
the  men  to  return  from  hunting. 
Upon  their  arrival,  the  oldest  one — 
father  to  the  other  men,  announced 


*Jbid.t   pp.   405-406. 
c2   Ne.    30:6. 


his  name  to  be  Nabor  and  that  of 
his  son  to  be  Juan.  They  readily 
consented  to  guide  us  to  the  temple 
of  the  "painted  walls"  on  condition 
that  we  wait  while  they  ate. 

When  the  meal  was  served,  all  of 
the  family  members  took  several 
turns  drinking  gruel,  or  thin  corn- 
meal  mush,  out  of  a  large  bowl. 

The  food  having  been  consumed, 
Otto,  Jose,  and  I,  accompanied  by 
Nabor  and  Juan,  our  guides,  headed 
along  the  jungle  trail  toward  Bonam- 
pak. After  hiking  for  approximately 
two  hours'  time,  we  suddenly  came 
to  another  garden  spot  with  two  pic- 
turesque, thatched  huts  standing  on 
the  bank  of  a  beautiful  river.  These 
were  the  homes  of  Jose  Petit  and 
family. 

We  requested  this  family  to  permit 
us  to  take  their  pictures;  thereupon 
Jose  Petit  (the  other  white  Indian 
with  red  hair  previously  mentioned), 
responded.  One  woman  of  this  house- 
hold refused  to  pose  for  the  picture, 
saying,  "No,  I  haven't  a  pretty  dress." 
I  wondered  what  made  her  have  such 
fancy  ideas,  since  her  dress  was  made 
of  canvas  and  appeared  exactly  like 
the  dresses  worn  by  the  other  Laca- 
don Indians.  The  following  day 
upon  inquiry  we  learned  from  Nabor 
that  this  Indian  woman  had  been  the 
wife  of  the  late  Carlos  Frey,  the 
American   discoverer  of   Bonampak. 

Approximately  two  years  before  our 
visit  to  Bonampak,  Carlos  Frey  was 
guiding  a  group  of  Mexican  artists 
to  the  temple  of  the  "painted  walls," 
beginning  a  second  trip  there.  While 
they  were  crossing  the  river  about  a 
mile  below  Jose  Petit's  home,  the  boat 
capsized,  drowning  Mr.  Frey  and  one 
of  the  Mexicans.  They  were  buried 
approximately  a  mile  downstream 
from  Jose  Petit's  home. 

Juan  paddled  us  across  the  river  in 
a  boat  which  had  been  made  by  hol- 
lowing out  a  log.  We  then  continued 
our  journey  along  the  jungle  trail  for 
another  hour.  Suddenly  our  Indian 
guides  stopped  and  said,  "We  are 
going  home.  We  are  nearly  to  Obre- 
gon's  home.  He  will  guide  you  to 
Bonampak.  We  do  not  want  to  see 
him." 

We  had  no  more  desire  to  see 
Obregon  than  did  our  Indian  guides, 
and  so  we  replied,  "We  have  hired 
you,    not    Obregon,    to    take    us    to 

(Continued  on  page  340) 
THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


a 


11 


Pint-size 
refineries 

help  us 

keep  gasoline 

prices  low 


Folks  who  like  a  bargain  don't 
have  to  look  any  farther  than 
the  gas  tanks  of  their  cars.  For 
despite  a  steady  increase  in  qual- 
ity, gasoline  prices  have  remained 
low — and  Standard  Oil  Company 
of  California's  table-top  refin- 
eries are  one  good  reason  why. 

They  are  pint-size  laboratory 
pilot  plants  that  have  enabled 
our  scientists  to  develop  cost- 
cutting  manufacturing  methods 
for  each  new  gasoline  before  we 
produce  it.  With  the  aid  of  these 
rubber  and  glass  forerunners  of 
multi-million  gallon  refineries, 
we've  worked  with  car  manufac- 
turers to  perfect  balanced  gaso- 
lines designed  to  bring  out  more 
efficiency,  economy  from  today's 
higher  compression  engines. 

We've  learned  how  to  squeeze 
more  gasoline  from  each  barrel 
of  crude;  and — most  important 
— we've  found  ways  to  manufac- 
ture increasingly  better  gas  at 
consistently  low  prices.  Today's 
gasoline,  for  example,  is  50% 
better  than  motor  fuels  of  1925, 
yet  costs  just  a  few  pennies  more. 

The  combination  of  research 
and  competition  has  held  gaso- 
line prices  down  so  effectively 
that  they've  advanced  only  17% 
(excluding taxes)  since  1925  while 
general  living  costs  have  gone  up 
52  %.  So,  even  though  Standard's 
pint-size  refineries  make  gasoline 
by  the  drop,  they  have  a  power- 
ful influence  on  your  motoring . . . 
are  one  reason  why  Standard 
products  give  you  a  longer  run 
for  your  money. 

Standard  plans  ahead 
to  serve  you  better 


MAY  1955 


STANDARD  OIL  COMPANY  OF  CALIFORNIA 


339 


»TRIUMPH    IN    TONE 


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Phone  84-6173 


(Continued  from  page  338) 

Bonampak,  and  you  must  do  it,  other- 
wise you  will  receive  no  gifts." 

We  gave  them  a  box  of  bullets  and 
exerted  much  persuasion.  Finally 
they  consented  to  continue  with  us  on 
condition  that  we  would  not  permit 
Obregon  to  join  our  party.     We  as- 


sured them  that  we  would  not;  in 
fact,  we  were  as  definitely  opposed 
to  having  him  accompany  us  as  they 
were. 

Soon  thereafter  the  trail  came  into 
a  small  opening  in  the  jungle  and 
there  in  front  of  us  stood  two  thatched 
huts.     Obregon — a  naked  fellow  ex- 


y v>^isi>iSiS^iN>2K2;^  '4 


1 
I 


^Arti  present  or  ^recounted  ^Ti 


fi 


or... 


T't  is  a  wonderful,  comforting,  reassuring  feeling  when  par- 
ents,  mentally,  can  call  the  roll,  and  find  all  the  family 
in — safe  and  secure.  When  families  are  young  in  years,  it 
is  comparatively  easy  to  feel  assured  that  they  are  some- 
what safe,  or  at  least  to  be  assured  that  they  are  all  in.  But 
when  they  grow  older,  and  their  interests  and  activities 
widen,  and  they  become  more  independent,  the  waiting  hours 
of  night  are  often  long,  as  they  come  home,  one  by  one. 
Sometimes  children,  young  and  old,  wonder  why  parents 
worry  so  much  and  are  so  concerned  about  their  unaccounted 
absences.  But  both  caution  and  concern  come  with  expe- 
rience and  responsibility — and  not  without  reason.  There 
are  so  many  hazards,  so  many  things  that  could  have  hap- 
pened, and  parents  cannot,  or  should  not,  escape  an  acute 
sense  of  concern  for  all  who  are  not  present  or  accounted 
for.  Children  should  and  must  expect  to  keep  parents  in- 
formed of  their  absences  and  activities.  It  isn't  good  for 
anyone  of  any  age  to  be  unaccounted  for.  Otherwise  an 
unexplained  absence  or  illness  could  go  unknown  and  de- 
tected for  far  too  long  a  time.  Apart  from  love,  apart  from 
parental  responsibility,  it  is  simply  a  matter  of  good  sense 
and  safety  for  someone  who  has  an  interest  in  us  to  know 
always  and  at  all  hours,  where  we  are,  with  whom  we  are, 
where  we  can  be  reached,  and  when  we  are  expected  to 
arrive.  Less  accountability  than  this,  less  responsibility,  is 
much  too  loose.  And  in  these  matters,  youth  should  not 
and  must  not  think  that  parents  are  prying.  It's  just  that 
they  need  to  know,  for  theirs  is  an  inescapable  obligation 
which  they  cannot  set  aside  if  they  would  and  should  not 
if  they  could.  This  sure  sense  of  responsibility  is  suggested 
in  the  Savior's  parable  of  the  shepherd  and  the  sheep:  "What 
man  of  you,  having  an  hundred  sheep,  if  he  lose  one  of 
them,  doth  not  leave  the  ninety  and  nine  .  .  .  and  go  after 
that  which  is  lost,  until  he  find  it?  \ And  when  he  hath 
found  it,  he  layeth  it  on  his  shoulders,  rejoicing,  ft  And 
when  he  cometh  home,  he  calleth  together  his  friends  and 
neighbours,  saying  unto  them,  Rejoice  with  me;  for  I  have 
found  my  sheep  which  was  lost."1  It  is  a  blessed  thing,  in 
the  hours  of  the  night,  and  at  all  other  hours  also,  to  have 
the  sweet  assurance  that  all  are  "present  or  accounted  for," 
and  we  owe  it,  all  of  us,  to  all  of  us,  to  see  that  it  is  so. 


Jpouen       vwuru         FROM   TEMPLE   SQUARE 
PRESENTED  OVER  KSL  AND  THE  COLUMBIA  BROADCASTING 

Copyright,    1955 


SYSTEM,  MARCH   13,   1955 


340 


]Luke  15:4-6.  y) 

THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


cept  for  his  breechcloth — was  loung- 
ing on  the  ground  in  the  shade  of  a 
bowery.  His  dogs  barked  vigorously 
at  our  approach.  Upon  seeing  us, 
Obregon  immediately  jumped  to  his 
feet  and  ran  to  meet  us,  throwing  his 
arms  around  me  and  giving  me  a  firm 
caress.  A  chill  went  up  and  down 
my  spine  as  I  recalled  that  this  man 
was  a  murderer.  I  was  much  relieved 
when  he  withdrew  his  arms  and  I 
found  that  he  had  no  knife  in  his 
hand.  My  desire  was  to  get  out  of 
the  company  of  this  aggressive  In- 
dian as  soon  as  possible.  He  asked, 
"Where  are  you  going?" 

We  replied,  "To  Bonampak." 
He  answered,  "I  will  go  with  you." 
With   firm   determination,   we   re- 
plied, "No,  you  won't;  you  can't  go." 
Then  he  inquired,  "Why  not?" 
To   that  we  replied,   "Because  we 
have  engaged  those  Indians  to  go  with 
us." 

Still  he  insisted  on  coming  along 
also;  but  we  flatly  told  him  that  we 
did  not  want  him — definitely  he 
could  not  go  with  us  to  Bonampak. 
It  took  all  of  the  persuasion  we  could 
muster  to  convince  him.  Finally  he 
relented  by  inviting  us  to  come  to  his 
home  on  our  return  journey  and, 
"write  our  names  and  addresses  in 
his  big  book."  It  was  obvious  that 
his  principle  purpose  was  to  provide 
another  opportunity  to  try  to  get  some 
gifts  from  us,  which  in  the  preceding 
conversation  we  had  refused  to  give 
him. 

As  quickly  as  we  could  get  away 
from    Obregon,    we    continued    our 
journey  toward  Bonampak.  When  we 
were   approximately  a  hiking  hour's 
distance  from  our  desired  goal,  dark- 
ness came.     We  attached  our  ham- 
mocks to  some  trees.    We  had  brought 
no    bedding,    and    so,    wet    and    ex- 
hausted, we  crawled  into  our  ham- 
mocks hoping  to  get  a  good  night's 
sleep.     The  intense  tropical  heat   of 
the   day   was   soon   replaced   by   the 
chill  of  the  night.    A  wind  arose  sud- 
denly  and   blew   through   the   dense 
foliage,    making    the    weather    very 
chilly.    In  fact,  to  our  surprise  shortly 
after  we  had  climbed  into  our  ham- 
mocks, we  were  lying  there  shivering. 
Nabor  and  Juan  built  a  small  fire 
and  cuddled  by  it  throughout  the  en- 
tire night.    Several  times  I  had  strong 
urges  to  join  them,  but  resisted,  and 
lay   in   the   hammock  all   night  un- 
comfortably   cold    and    most    of    the 
time  wide-awake. 


(Continued  on  following  page) 


Sm«r*  *»*ers  v"wOS* 

See  and  wheel  this 
clever  garden  cart  at 
your  favorite  store 
— you'll  want  to  own 
one!  You'll  like  the 
trim  styling  and 
rugged  design.  It 
costs  very  little! 


GARDEN  CART 


Beauty  Barfou/ 


HOME  &  GARDEN 
Wheelbarrow 

If  you  prefer  a  wheel- 
barrow, then  this  is 
the  one  for  you!  Light 
weight,  yet  it  holds 
big  loads.  Seamless 
deep-drawn  tray;  tu- 
bular steel  frame. 
Puncture-proof,  jum- 
bo tire.  Converts  into 
a  portable  barbecue 
cart  in  a  jiffy! 


2-WHEELER 

Ladies'  Choice 


,  Beauty  Barfou/ 


Most  feminine  gardeners 
go  for  this  two-wheel 
model!  It  handles  easily 
on  sloping  or  rough 
ground;  even  when 
heaped  full  it  may  be 
pushed  or  pulled  with- 
out danger  of  spilling. 
Use  it  to  barbecue,  too! 


Beauty  Barrow 


Presto.'  It  becomes 
a  barbecue! 


Get  double  use  from  your 
wheelbarrow !  Inexpensive 
attachment  converts  either 
model  into  a  perfect  porta- 
ble barbecue  cart — the  heat 
won't  harm  the  barrow. 


NORTHWtST  METAL  PRODUCTS,  INC, 

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MAY  1955 


341 


teena  paige 

graduation  dresses 


as  advertised  in  "Seventeen" 

Misty  nylon  ...  for  your  graduation — the  big 
day  — and  the  dates  which  go  with  it.  Velvet 
dusted  nylon  dresses  designed  especially  for 
ZCMI  by  Teena  Paige  and  featured  in  April's 
Seventeen  magazine.     Pastels,  white  in  7-15. 

ZCMI  JUNIORS'  SHOP  —Second  Floor 


10 


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Please  send  the  following  Teena   Paige  dresses: 


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additional.     Utah  residents   add   2%  State  Tax. 


342 


Archaeology  and  the 
Book  of  Mormon 

(Continued  from  preceding  page) 
Now  and  then  during  the  long  and 
dreary  night  the  thought  crowded  it- 
self into  my  mind:  "What  foolish 
men  we  are — both  of  those  Indians 
have  guns,  and  we  are  lying  in  these 
hammocks  completely  defenseless. 
They  could  easily  shoot  us  at  any 
moment,  take  our  goods,  and  nobody 
would  know  where  we  had  p-one." 
Then  I  would  push  those  disagreeable 
thoughts  aside  by  reassuring  myself 
that  the  Lord  would  protect  us,  which 
I  acknowledge  he  did. 

Another  factor  uncommon  to  us  in 
sleeping  in  the  jungles  was  the  variety 
of  weird  sounds  that  continuously 
filled  the  air.  Now  and  then  a  limb 
would  fall  from  a  tree  and  crash  on 
the  ground.  Wild  monkeys  chattered, 
scolded  at  each  other,  and  screamed; 
and  a  numerous  variety  of  birds  made 
diverse  sounds  according  to  their  na- 
tures. Also,  the  thoughts  of  jaguars, 
snakes,  spiders,  and  other  inhabitants 
of  the  jungles  were  irritating  factors 
in  disturbing;  our  night's  rest.  That 
was  one  of  the  longest  and  most 
disagreeable  nights  that  I  have  ever 
spent.  We  were  happy  when  morning 
came  and  we  could  continue  our 
journey  to  Bonampak. 

We  finally  arrived  at  the  temple 
of  "painted  walls,"  which  will  be  de- 
scribed in  the  next  article.  Our 
thrill  surpassed  description.  We  took 
photographs  of  the  paintings  of  the 
dark  and  light  colored  people,  and 
then  hiked  back  to  the  Indian's 
homes,  arriving  at  3:30  in  the  after- 
noon. 

It  had  been  reported  to  us  that  the 
distance  from  the  airplane  landing 
strip  to  Bonampak  and  back  was  only 
thirty  miles.  After  making  the  trip, 
and  judging  from  our  experiences  and 
the  way  we  felt,  we  concluded  that 
one  cipher  had  been  omitted — mak- 
ing the  distance  "300"  miles.  If 
anyone  doubts  this  statement,  he  is 
at  liberty  to  make  a  similar  trip  and 
thereby  verify  or  disprove  our  con- 
clusions. 


Upon  arriving  at  the  Indians' 
homes,  naturally  our  first  concern 
was  food,  since  our  rations  had  been 
limited  to  two  small  sausages  each 
during  that  and  part  of  the  previous 
day.  We  immediately  asked  the  In- 
dian women  to  prepare  us  some  food. 
THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


In  response,  one  of  them  brought  us 
three  eggs.  Jose  Davila  asked, 
"Cooked  or  raw?" 

She  replied,  "Raw." 

He  then  suggested,  "Go  back  and 
cook  them." 

She  immediately  did  so,  and  short- 
ly thereafter  returned  not  only  with 
the  three  eggs  but  also  with  some 
tortillas.  I  gladly  took  the  boiled 
egg,  but  upon  looking  at  those  In- 
dian women,  I  remarked,  "No,  I 
don't  care  for  any  tortillas."  But  my 
stomach  didn't  believe  the  words  my 
mouth  had  spoken,  and  so  I  reversed 
my  decision,  saying,  "I  will  take  one." 
I  ate  it  and  concluded  that  it  was  the 
most  delicious  morsel  of  food  that  I 
had  ever  tasted.  Then  I  said,  "I 
will  be  happy  to  take  another,"  and 
it  was  as  delicious  as  the  first.  After 
this  the  Indian  women  provided 
bananas  for  dessert. 

Since  we  were  not  to  meet  the 
plane  at  the  airstrip  until  ten  o'clock 
the  following  morning,  the  Lacadon 
Indians  insisted  on  our  staying  at 
their  home  that  night,  promising  that 
they  would  guide  us  to  the  airstrip 
the  following  morning.  They  gen- 
erously' offered  us,  as  a  place  to  hang 
our  hammocks  that  night,  an  open- 
air,  thatched  roofed  shed  which  stood 
on  the  side  of  the  river  opposite  to 
their  homes. 

Darkness  came,  and  we  crawled  in- 
to our  hammocks.  By  10:00  p.m.  we 
were  again  lying  there  shaking  and 
shivering,  as  we  had  done  the  previ- 
ous night.  Jose  got  out  of  his  ham- 
mock and  built  fires  to  keep  us  warm. 
Thereafter  throughout  the  night  we 
took  turns  keeping  the  fires  burning, 
and  so  we  were  wiser  than  we  had 
been  the  previous  night. 

About  6:00  a.m.  we  arose  and,  ac- 
companied by  Nabor  and  Juan,  their 
wives,  the  two  Indian  boys,  and 
all  the  dogs,  headed  for  the  air- 
strip. Approximately  three  hours  later 
we  arrived,  observing  that  we  were 
thirty  minutes  ahead  of  the  appointed 
time.  Our  aviator,  however,  was  four 
hours  late.  He  blamed  his  tardiness 
on  the  fact  that  he  didn't  expect  us  to 
be  there,  thinking  that  surely  we 
would  be  lost  in  the  jungle. 

Otto,  Jose,  and  I  are  happy  to  have 
seen  the  "painted  walls,"  which  gave 
us  additional  confirmation  of  the 
Book  of  Mormon  claims  of  dark-  and 
light-colored  peoples  having  lived  in 
ancient  America. 


(To  be  continuedy 


N  E  Vw 


Farm  Size 


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MAY  1955 


343 


see::.,...:... :: 


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". . .  publish  it  upon 
the  mountains" 

(Continued  from  page  311) 
pointing  to  the  deep-seated  and  true 
regard  the  Prophet  had  for  his  bene- 
factor. 

It  must  have  been  a  bitter  blow,  in- 
deed, to  Joseph  Smith,  when  Martin 
Harris  joined  the  Prophet's  enemies 
in  attempts  to  discredit  his  divine 
mission  and  overthrow  the  Church. 

In  later  life  however,  when  Martin, 
in  deep  humility,  was  reunited  with 
the  Church,  his  esteem  for  the  Proph- 
et knew  no  bounds.  As  he  lay  upon 
his  deathbed,  after  bearing  his  final 
testimony — that  he  did  see  the  angel, 
that  he  did  see  the  plates,  that  he 
did  hear  the  voice  of  God — Martin 
Harris  gave  utterance  to  his  last 
words  spoken  upon  the  earth:  "And  1 
do  know  that  Joseph  Smith  is  a 
Prophet  of  God,  holding  the  keys  of 
the  Holy  Priesthood."1'1 

TI/Iartin  Harris  was  intensely  hu- 
-L"-"-  man,  jealous  of  Oliver  Cowdery, 
Sidney  Rigdon,  and  others  whom  he 
saw  placed  in  positions  of  trust  ahead 
of  him.  He  was  envious;  he  con- 
sidered himself  Joseph's  "right-hand 
man,"  to  use  one  of  our  own  expres- 
sions; he  felt  hurt  and  frustrated 
when  not  chosen  to  positions  of 
leadership,  to  which  he  felt  he  was 
entitled.  The  dissention  of  Martin 
Harris  became  so  pronounced  that  he 
was  dropped  from  the  Kirtland  high 
council  September  3,  1837.15 

Shortly  after  the  martyrdom  of  the 
Prophet,  one  J.  J.  Strang  claimed  to  be 
Joseph's  rightful  successor,  and  in 
support  of  his  claim  exhibited  a  let- 
ter purportedly  written  by  Joseph 
Smith  choosing  Strang  as  his  suc- 
cessor.  Mr.  Strang  was  a  man  of 
commanding  appearance  and  persua- 
sive eloquence  and  attracted  quite  a 
following  among  the  discontented 
Saints.  For  a  time  Martin  Harris 
came  under  the  influence  of  this  man. 
He  undertook  a  mission  to  England 
for  the  avowed  purpose  of  opposing 
the  elders  laboring  there.  But  Martin 
Harris  however,  soon  realized  his  er- 
ror and  hastily  returned  to  the  United 
States  before  doing  any  harm,  as  An- 
drew Jenson  has  expressed,  except 
perhaps,  to  himself.10 


344 


""The  Passing  of  Martin  Harris,"  by  William  Har- 
rison Homer,  The  Improvement  Era,  (Salt  Lake  City, 
1926),    29:472. 

™D.  H.  C,  op.  cit.,  11:510. 

16Andrew  Jenson,  Latter-day  Saint  Biographical  En- 
cyclopedia   (Salt    Lake    City    1901),    1:272. 

THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


Mr.  Strang's  attempt  to  establish 
himself  in  a  position  of  leadership  in 
the  Church  proved  to  be  an  abortive 
effort  and  was  doomed  to  failure.  He 
met  with  a  tragic  ending,  when  he 
was  shot  and  killed  by  one  of  his 
followers. 

David  Whitmer  was  deeply  angered 
when  the  Saints  at  Far  West,  in  a 
general  assembly  held  on  February 
4,  1838,  refused  to  sustain  the  stake 
presidency— David  Whitmer,  W.  W. 
Phelps,  and  John  Whitmer.  Another 
grievance  of  Whitmer 's  was  that 
Joseph  Smith  had  altered  the  original 
charter  of  the  Church  and  changed 
the  name  from  the  "Church  of  Jesus 
Christ"  by  adding  thereto  the  words 
"of  Latter-day  Saints."  David  Whit- 
mer was  dubious  concerning  the  au- 
thenticity of  the  more  recent  revela- 
tions, saying  he  was  not  sure  whether 
they  were  being  received  by  the 
Prophet  or  dictated  by  Sidney  Rigdon. 
Whitmer  was  cited  formally  to  appear 
before  the  high  council  on  April  13, 
1838,  to  answer  charges  which  had 
been  preferred  against  him.  When 
he  refused  to  appear,  he  was  excom- 
municated.17 

The  designation  The  Church  of 
Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  was 
given  by  a  revelation  through  Joseph 
Smith  at  Far  West,  Missouri,  April 
26,  1838,  addressed  to  the  presiding 
officers  of  the  Church  and  reads  as 
follows : 

For  thus  shall  my  church  be  called  in  the 
last  days,  even  The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ 
of  Latter-day  Saints.  (D.  &  C.  115:4.) 

Martin  Harris  rejected  the  spiritual 
leadership  of  Brigham  Young  and 
in  later  years  harbored  a  personal 
resentment  against  him.  He  felt  that 
President  Young  was  instrumental  in 
causing  Caroline,  Martin's  second 
wife,  to  leave  him  and  go  to  Utah,  a 
grievance  more  imaginary  than  real. 

Martin  Harris  separated  from  his 
first  wife,  Lucy,  in  1829  or  1830.  The 
exact  date  has  not  been  found  on 
record.  However,  early  writers  state 
that  they  were  divorced.18  Lucy  did 
not  move  to  Kirtland  when  Martin 
settled  there  in  1831,  after  his  mission 
to  Missouri  with  the  Prophet.  Mar- 
tin did  not  re-marry  until  1837,  the 
year  after  Lucy's  death  in  Palmyra. 

He  then  took  to  wife  in  Kirtland 

an   attractive   girl   thirty- three  years 

(Continued  on  following  page) 

"Joseph   Fielding  Smith,   op.   cit.,   pp.   208-209. 

18Preston    Nibley,    The    Witnesses    of    the    Book    of 
Mormon   (Salt  Lake  City   1953),  p.   111. 

MAY  1955 


Good  Old 
family  Tradition 


postal* 


This  large  8-ounce  jar  of  Instant  Postum  makes  up  to  100  cups! 

Instant  Postum  is  America's 
■favorite  cereal  beverage! 

Have  you  tried  Instant  Postum  with  your  meals?  It  offers  all  the 
warmth  and  satisfaction  you  crave  from  a  good  hot  drink. 

Postum  has  so  much  flavor  and  goodness  because  it's  made  of 
whole  wheat  and  bran,  carefully  roasted  and  slightly  sweetened. 

And  it  takes  so  little  time  to  prepare  Instant  Postum.  Fix  it 
right  in  the  cup,  adding  hot  water  or  hot  milk.  With  milk,  it's 
specially  good  for  the  children. 

Yet,  Instant  Postum  is  priced  so  low — less  than  a  penny  a  cup! 
Why  not  start  the  Postum  tradition  in  your  family — soon.  Another 
wonderful  product  of  General  Foods. 


Instant  Posfum 

No  caffein 


345 


Finest  gasoline,  motor  oil, 

fuel  oil  and  other 

petroleum  products  in  46  years. 

You  expect  more  from 
Utoco .  • .  and  get  it! 


Here's  the  milk  that  helps 
you  be  a  better  cook! 


". . .  publish  it  upon 
the  mountains" 

(Continued  from  preceding  page) 

younger  than  himself,  a  niece  of 
Brigham  Young,  Caroline  Young, 
daughter  of  John  Young.  Temporal- 
ly Martin  prospered  at  this  time. 
Their  home  in  Kirtland  was  more 
than  comfortably  appointed.  Here 
they  lived  together  nineteen  years 
during  the  period  of  discord,  persecu- 
tion, and  apostasy  that  marked  the 
Kirtland  era  in  Church  history,  and 
here  four  of  their  children  were  born. 

Children  of  Caroline  and  Martin 
Harris: 

Martin,  Jr.,  born  January  28,  1838, 
Kirtland — died  September  27,  1913; 
Julia  Lacotha,  born  April  29,  1842, 
Kirtland — died  February  6,  1869; 
John  Wheeler,  born  July  1,  1845, 
Kirtland — died  1916;  Solomon  Web- 
ster, December  I,  1854,  Kirtland — 
died  March  3,  1919;  Ida  Mae,  born 
May  27,  1856,  Iowa — died  December 
24,  1918. 

Caroline  was  a  staunch  Latter-day 
Saint.  In  desperation,  after  years  of 
divided  loyalties,  partly  caused  by 
Martin's  disaffection  with  the  Church, 
she  made  the  decision  to  leave  him 
and  departed  with  her  children  for 
Utah.  Ida  Mae  was  born  in  Iowa 
after  the  start  of  the  westward  jour- 
ney. Finally,  on  September  1,  1859, 
more  than  three  years  after  leaving 
Kirtland,  Caroline  and  her  five  chil- 
dren arrived  in  Salt  Lake  City  and 
were  welcomed  into  her  father's  home. 

(To  he  continued) 


■  ♦ 


346 


Mother  of  the  Year 

(Continued  from  page  322) 
he  had  finished  his  mission.  Jeanie, 
she  said,  wanted  to  be  a  kindergarten 
teacher  and  Davy  and  Judy  were  too 
young  to  know  what  they  wanted  to 
do." 

When  Miss  Ungar  asked  for  her 
formula  for  raising  children  she  said: 
:  'I'm  afraid  I  haven't  any.'  She  pon- 
dered a  moment  as  she  separated  the 
twins  who  were  fighting  over  a 
dilapidated  teddy  bear.  Then  as  she 
gave  them  each  a  fresh  toy,  she  said, 
'I  just  sort  of  let  them  go  along  as 
they  naturally  want  to  as  long  as 
they're  not  doing  any  harm  to  them- 
THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


selves  or  anybody  else,'  then  with  a 
glance  at  the  babies  now  happy  with 
what  she  had  given  them,  she  laughed, 
'unless  they  all  want  the  teddy  bear 
at  the  same  time;  then  I  have  to  take 
a  hand.  Keeping  them  busy  and 
happy  are  the  two  things  I've  always 
been  most  anxious  about.  I  believe 
when  folks  are  busy  and  happy,  there 
isn't  much  to  worry  about.' ' 

Nancy  put  the  paper  down, 
thoughtfully.  She  had  seen  to  it  that 
her  children  were  busy — but  had  they 
been  happy?  Had  she  made  them 
too  conscious  of  standards,  goals, 
habits?  Had  she  made  them  too 
independent  of  her? 

The  door  opened,  and  Jim  came  in. 
He  dropped  his  books  on  the  couch 
with  a  tired  sigh.  Then  as  she  looked 
up  at  him,  he  gathered  the  books  up 
quickly.  "I'm  sorry,  Mother."  It 
had  been  an  unbreakable  rule  that 
the  living  room  must  always  be  in 
order — ready  for  callers  or  commit- 
tee meetings.  Suddenly  Nancy  knew 
it  had  never  been  a  living  room. 

"That's  all  right  Jim.  Let  them 
be.  You  look  tired."  But  he  was  on 
his  way  to  his  room. 

"How  was  school?"  She  wanted 
desperately  to  break  the  reserve  be- 
tween them. 

"Not  so  good.  I'm  afraid  I  flunked 
the  test  in  zoo.  I  can't  swallow  the 
stuff,  and  it's  a  pre-req.  for  that 
eugenics  you  want  me  to  major  in. 
Guess  I'll  have  to  get  one  of  the  smart 
guys  to  tutor  me."  He  went  into  his 
room  and  closed  the  door.  Nancy 
sat  staring  after  him. 

Smart  guys — with  his  IQ.  Had  she 
had  a  right  to  urge  him  into  the  field 
of  her  interest?  Certainly  Jim  was 
not  happy. 

She  thought  of  the  other  children. 
Had  they  been  happy?  Suddenly 
she  felt  that  they  were  all  more  than 
miles  away  from  her.  Why  hadn't 
Richard  taken  that  job  the  home  uni- 
versity offered  him?  The  president 
had  said  he  regretted  that  Richard 
felt  he  shouldn't  change  the  environ- 
ment of  his  children  during  their 
formative  years.  Could  it  be  he  feared 
she  would  try  to  dominate  them?  And 
Kathie's  Fred — why  were  they  send- 
ing him  to  the  state  university  in  an- 
other city— rather  than  to  their  own 
alma  mater — to  the  care  of  his  grand- 
mother? A  wave  of  self-accusation 
swept  over  her. 

She  went  to  her  room 
of  her  paper  "Essential  Factors  in  the 
(Continued  on  following  page) 
MAY  1955 


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MOTHER  OF  THE  YEAR 


Address^ 
City 


_Zone_ 


-State. 


(Continued  from  preceding  page) 
Improvement   of   the   Race,"   seemed 
to  mock  her. 

She  heard  Jim's  door  open. 

"Jimmy,  I'll  Have  dinner  ready 
right  away,"  she  called. 

"I'm  not  hungry.  I'm  going  out 
for  awhile.  Don't  bother  about  me 
for  dinner.  You're  busy  with  your 
article.  I  may  drop  in  at  Jeanie's. 
They'll  be  having  a  snack."  He  went 
out  the  back  door. 

Nancy  sank  into  a  chair  and  buried 
her  face  in  her  arms.  She  wept  as 
she  had  not  wept  for  years.  She  had 
wanted  more  than  anything  else  in 
the  world  to  help  the  children  become 
what  their  father  would  have  helped 
them  to  be.  Had  she  robbed  them 
and  herself  of  life's  greatest  blessings? 
She  envied  Susan  Barker.  She  longed 
for  happiness,  for  companionship  with 
her  loved  ones. 

When  she  was  exhausted  from 
weeping,  she  bathed  her  face  and 
tried  to  read.  But  she  was  too  over- 
wrought with  remorse  and  misgivings. 
If  only  it  were  not  too  late  to  recover 
what  she  had  missed!  Finally  she 
sat  at  her  desk  and  wrote  a  long,  inti- 
mate letter  to  each  of  her  absent 
■children.  She  knew  they  would  be 
surprised  at  the  new  warmth  and 
concern,  but  she  felt  sure  they  would 
understand  and  would  respond.    She 


felt  a  new  peace  and  was  preparing 
for  bed  when  she  heard  Jim  come 
whistling  up  the  walk.  The  sound 
was  sweet.  She  knew  to  reach  Jim 
would  be  easier  than  she  had  dared 
to  hope. 

He  called,  "Mother,  you  still  up?" 
and  burst  into  her  room.  There  was 
a  warmth  in  his  voice  she  had  not 
heard  for  months.  He  had  the  Eve- 
ning Express  in  his  hands.  His  face 
was  beaming. 

"Mother,  why  didn't  you  tell  me! 
This  is  great — Mother  of  the  Year! 
You  and  Jeanie's  mother!  Gosh,  but 
we're  the  proud  kids!"  He  dropped 
the  paper  and  put  his  arms  around 
her.  "I'm  sorry  I've  been  such  a 
heel  lately — you  trying  to  make  some- 
thing of  me,  and  me — " 

"Don't  Jimmy!"  she  studied  his 
eager  young  face.  "You're  in  love 
with  Jeanie  Barker — and  I'm  glad.  I 
hope  she'll  be  the  kind  of  woman,  the 
kind  of  mother  her  mother  is." 

Holding  her  close  he  began  to 
laugh. 

"That's  funny!  She — ever  since 
I've  known  her — Mother,  Jeanie 
wants  to  be  just  like  you!" 

A  sweet  peace  stole  over  Nancy. 
Mother  of  the  year!  That  didn't 
matter.  What  did  matter  was  this 
new  something:  she  had  found. 


UNLOCKING  THE  DOORS  TO  OPPORTUNITY 


(Continued  from  page  309) 

My  aunt  had  gathered  her  wealth 
of  data  among  references  she  had 
read  and  researched  in  Freeman's 
History  of  Cape  Cod,  volume  1,  page 
65.,  Michael's  History  of  Bridgewater, 
Bass  Family  History,  volume  51,  52 
and  54  of  the  New  England  Register 
— -Mayflower  Descendants.  History  of 
the  Adams  Family,  New  England 
Register,  volume  86  and  87. 

In  mother's  pedigree  one  grand- 
parent was  an  aunt  of  John  Quincy 
Adams,  President  of  the  United 
States. 

I  followed  every  "twig"  of  one 
branch  since  this  connected  the  fa- 
mous William  Shakespeare  to  my 
family  tree,  through  John  and  Pris- 
cilla  Alden's  granddaughter  Ruth 
Bass,  whose  husband  was  Peter  Webb. 

Peter  Webb's  father,  Christopher 
Webb,  was  born  about  1630,  and 
Christopher's  parents  were  Humility 
and    Christopher    Webb— I.      Back- 


348 


tracking,  history  gives  his  father  as 
Alexander  Webb,  Jr.,  and  Alexander 
Webb,  Sr.,  married  Margaret  Arden. 
Here  the  name  is  intermingled,  for 
Alexander  Webb,  Sr.'s  father  also 
married  Grace  Arden.  They  were 
from  Warwick,  England.  Grace  was 
the  first  person  to  be  buried  in  Wind- 
sor, Connecticutt.  She  died  Decem- 
ber 3,  1639. 

The  last  name  I  recorded  in  my 
own  pedigree  loose-leaf  book  was  the 
family  of  Greswold.  Radolphus 
(Latin  form  for  Ralph)  Greswold  was 
born  about  1300.  Later  the  name 
was  spelled  Ralph  Greswold.  This 
name  went  back  to  John  Greswold  of 
Kenilworth,  Warwick,  England.  He 
was  born  in  1200,  and  he  married  a 
daughter  of  William  Huggerford  of 
Huggerford  Hall  in  England.  Her 
birth  is  recorded  in  1100. 

Aunt  Mattie  unlocked  the  gene- 
alogy doors  to  opportunity  for  me  to 
find  hidden  "buds"  in  names  and 
THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


history  that  since  have  blossomed  on 
our  family  tree  branches.  Genealogy 
is  found  in  old  letters,  Bibles,  diaries, 
church  registers,  tombstones,  and  his- 
tory books. 


That  Friendly  Touch 

(Concluded  from  page  294) 
you  write  one  letter  and  have  several 
letters  to  read.  In  a  way  it  is  gen- 
eral, but  so  is  a  group  of  friends  in- 
vited to  your  home.  Confidential 
matters  may  be  taken  up  in  personal 
letters,  while  the  "round  robin"  keeps 
one  in  touch  on  general  subjects. 

Before  the  evening  is  up,  I  check 
my  birthday  and  anniversary  book 
for  special  dates  coming  up.  I  ad- 
dress the  proper  cards  and  date  them 
when  they  should  go  into  the  mail 
and  put  them  in  a  file  on  the  desk. 
It  takes  no  time  in  the  mornings 
afterwards  to  riffle  through  them 
and  to  send  the  cards  out  that  should 

g°- 

At  the  same  time,  I  make  out  the 

shopping  list  relative  to  the  above, 
adding  to  it  the  specialized  gifts  that 
are  to  be  purchased.  Right  now,  my 
memo  pad  has  the  following  nota- 
tions: Wedding  gift  for  Bruce  and 
Alice,  check  with  jeweler  for  silver 
pattern — Shower  gift  for  Anne,  some- 
thing for  the  kitchen — Baby  shower 
gift  for  Ruth — Birthday  present  for 
Jackie  Arnold — Sue  Ellen  invited  to 
party — Mother  and  Dad  Armstrong's 
anniversary  gift- 
Next  comes  the  checking  over  of 
scribbled  notations  of  friends  ill  or 
who  have  lost  a  member  of  the  fam- 
ily. To  them  go  convalescent  cards 
and  messages  of  condolence. 

How  often  do  I  have  a  "Friends' 
Night"?  There  is  no  set  time,  no  set 
number.  Whenever  I  want  to  call  in 
my  friends  for  a  friendly  visit,  I  have 
a  Friends'  Night. 

Why  not  give  it  a  try?  Oh,  here 
comes  the  mailman.  Wait.  Yes, 
there  is  a  big,  thick  letter.  One  of 
the  "round  robins"  has  come.  Now 
I'll  hear  if  June's  oldest  daughter  has 
recovered  from  the  mumps,  and  if 
Sara's  oldest  son  is  engaged  to  the  girl 
he  met  in  college. 

So,  keep  that  friendly  touch. 
MAY  1955 


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letter  to  a  Missionary 

(Continued  from  page  315) 
communication,  the  wonders  began 
at  the  same  time.  (The  pioneer  rail- 
road ran  in  the  United  States  seven 
years  after  the  angel's  visit.  Photog- 
raphy, as  we  know  it  today,  was  be- 
ing developed,  and  chloroform  was 
first  used  in  that  same  period.) 

If  you  object  to  these  things  being 
called  wonders,  you  should,  read,  a 
short  article  in  Reader's  Digest,  June 
1952,  page  69,  entitled,  "I  Wonder — 
Do  You?"  The  author  chastises  the 
public  for  taking  all  these  great  and 
wonderful  inventions  for  granted,  or 
as  he  says,  "vulgarizing  them."  Let's 
quote  one  sentence:  "There  certain- 
ly has  been  a  rapid  series  of  inven- 
tions, and,  in  one  sense,  the  activity 
is  marvelous  and  the  rapidity  might 
well  look  like  magic.  But  it  has  been 
a  rapidity  in  things  going  stale,  a 
rush  downhill  to  the  flat  and  dreary 
world  of  prosaic;  a  haste  of  marvelous 
things  to  lose  their  marvelous  char- 
acter; a  deluge  of  wonders  to  destroy 
wonder."  And  in  summing  up  he 
uses  this  sentence,  "I  am  not  ob- 
jecting to  the  statement  that  the 
science  of  the  modern  world  is  won- 
derful; I  am  only  objecting  to  the 
modern  world  because  it  does  not 
wonder  at  it  [more]."  (Italics  added.) 

In  the  Reader's  Digest  condensa- 
tion of  Garet  Garrett's  book,  The 
Wild  Wheel,  in  the  May  1952  maga- 
zine, page  164,  Mr.  Ford  answered  the 
question,  "Where  do  ideas  come 
from?"     I'll   quote   two   paragraphs: 

"There  was  something  like  a  sau- 
cer on  the  desk  in  front  of  [Mr. 
Ford].  He  flipped  it  upside  down; 
tapped  the  bottom  with  his  fingers 
and  said,  'You  know  that  atmospheric 
pressure  is  hitting  this  object  at  14 
pounds  per  square  inch.  You  can't 
see  it  or  feel  it,  but  you  know  it  is 
happening.  It's  like  that  with  ideas. 
The  air  is  full  of  them.  They  are 
hitting  you  on  the  head.  You  don't 
have  to  think  about  it  too  much. 
You  only  have  to  know  what  you 
want,  then  forget  about  it  and  go 
about  your  business.  Suddenly  the 
idea  you  want  will  come  through.  It 
was  there  all  the  time.' 

"One  day  I  saw  this  at  work.  At 
lunch,  Ford  was  talking  to  William 
J.  Cameron  and  me,  when  his  tall 
body  stiffened,  the  expression  on  his 
face,  which  had  been  lively,  changed 
to  that  of  a  sleepwalker,  and  he  said 
THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


to  no  one  in  particular,  'Ah-h!  I  am 
not  really  thinking  about  that  at  all.' 

"With  no  other  word,  he  rose  and 
walked  rapidly  away.  An  idea  he 
had  been  wanting  had  come  through, 
and  he  had  gone  to  do  something 
about  it.  Cameron  said,  'That  hap- 
pens often.  We  may  not  see  him 
again  for  a  week.'  " 

Yes,  Edgar,  Mr.  Ford  was  right. 
Ideas  are  everywhere  because  in  1823 
God  began  pouring  out  his  Spirit 
upon  all  flesh  and  caused  men  to 
"Dream  dreams  and  see  visions,"  and 
as  a  result  these  great  wonders  have 
come  upon  the  earth.  And  run- 
ning true  to  form,  God  did  not  start 
pouring  out  his  Spirit  until  he  had 
first  revealed  the  fact  that  he  was 
going  to  do  so  unto  his  servant  the 
Prophet. 

Oh,  Edgar!  Come  back.  You  were 
a  good  missionary,  and  I  believe  you 
are  a  good  man  now  only  you've 
grown  so  cold  and  numb  because  of 
inactivity.  Clean  yourself  up  and 
warm  up  your  spiritual  blood  by  ac- 
tivity in  your  priesthood  quorum,  the 
welfare  program,  and  other  services, 
and  by  living  the  standards  of  the 
Church.  If  you'll  do  this,  you  can 
get  that  old  thrill  back  you  once 
knew  as  a  missionary — even  a  greater 
thrill.  And  then  the  Holy  Spirit  can 
and  will  manifest  the  truth  of  Joseph 
Smith's  divine  calling  to  you  more 
convincingly  than  all  of  the  circum- 
stantial evidence  combined.  Don't 
trade  your  birthright  for  a  few  little 
two-bit  thrills  derived  from  the  things 
of  this  world.  What  can  be  gleaned 
from  obtaining  the  honors  of  men? 
They  only  last  a  few  years  at  best, 
whereas  our  heavenly  Father  has  in 
store  for  us  thrills  a  hundred  times 
more  soul-satisfying  which  will  last 
forever  and  ever. 

I  loved  you  as  a  missionary  com- 
panion, and  I  love  you  now  or  I 
would  not  be  writing  as  I  am. 

God  bless  you,  and  as  President 
Callis  used  to  close  his  letters  to  us, 

I  remain  your  brother  in  the  gospel, 
Rulon  Killian. 


SUFFER  LITTLE  CHILDREN 

By  Virgil  B.  Smith 

1I/|an,  do  you  know  a  child 

Or  still  remember  youth — 
Its  hope,  its  awful  thirst  for  truth? 
And,  knowing,  would  you  darken  skies 
To  unwinking,  eager  eyes? 
Or  do  you  know  yourself?    You're  near, 
But  not  so  close  as  some 
You  would   hold   back.     I  search — 
My  kingdom  waits — for  men  as  dear. 

MAY  1955 


poMcdM 

1  for 

OUTSIDE  or  INSIDE 


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351 


Mekhizedek 


Statement  of  Policy  Regarding  Seventies 


TO   ALL   STAKE   PRESIDENCIES 

Dear  Brethren: 

Recent  developments  in  relation  to 
the  work  of  the  seventies  of  the 
Church  have  indicated  to  the  mem- 
bers of  the  First  Council  of  the  Sev- 
enty the  advisability  of  again  setting 
forth  certain  policies  which  now 
maintain. 

Organization  of  Units 

It  has  recently  been  decided  that  in 
stakes  which  do  not  have  enough 
seventies  to  operate  a  quorum  with  a 
majority  there  will  be  organized  a 
unit  of  seventies.  This  organization 
will  not  be  given  a  number  but  will 
be  called  the  "Unit  of  Seventies"  of 

..__ ____  stake.     Under  the 

present  policy,  in  any  stake  where 
there  is  a  quorum  there  will  not  be 
organized  a  unit  nor  will  there  be 
organized  more  than  one  unit  in  any 
stake. 

Officers  of  Units 

To  direct  this  unit,  there  will  be 
appointed  a  chairman  and  two  coun- 
selors. These  officers  are  to  be 
recommended  to  the  First  Council  by 
the  stake  president.  After  being  ap- 
proved by  the  First  Council,  they 
may  be  set  apart  by  the  president 
of  the  stake. 

Organization  and  Maintenance 
of  Quorums 

A  quorum,  instead  of  a  unit,  will 
be  organized  in  all  stakes  which  have 
enough  seventies  for  a  working  ma- 
jority. 

In  cases  where  existing  quorums 
fall  below  a  majority  with  no  rea- 
sonable prospects  of  building  up  the 
membership  numerically,  if  there 
be  two  or  more  quorums  in  the  stake, 
such  combinations  and  readjustments 
as  conditions  warrant  will  be  made; 
and  if  it  be  that  there  is  but  one 
quorum  of  insufficient  members,  the 
quorum  as  such  will  be  disorganized, 

352 


a    unit    status    established,    and    the 
quorum   number   discontinued. 

Changes  in  Presidencies 

All  changes  in  the  presidencies  of 
seventies'  quorums  and  in  the  chair- 
manships of  units  must  have  the  ap- 
proval of  the  First  Council  of  the 
Seventy.  This  means  that  presidents 
of  quorums  and  chairmen  of  units 
cannot  be  released  from  office  nor 
ordained  high  priests  without  the 
authorization  of  the  First  Council  or 
of  one  of  the  duly  authorized  Gen- 
eral Authorities  who  may  be  operat- 
ing on  the  ground. 

This  policy  does  not  apply  to 
seventies  who  are  not  presidents  or 
chairmen.  A  change  has  been  made 
from  the  procedure  set  forth  in  the 
Melchizedek  Priesthood  Handbook. 
The  present  policy  permits  stake 
presidents  to  ordain  to  the  office  of 
high  priest  members  of  seventies' 
quorums  or  units  without  first  refer- 
ring the  matter  to  the  First  Council 
of  the  Seventy. 

Addition  of  New  Members 

When  a  quorum  or  unit  may  have 
need  of  new  members,  the  presi- 
dency of  the  quorum  or  chairman  of 
the  unit  may  make  requests  of  the 
stake  presidents  for  such  elders  as 
they  may  like  to  have  ordained  seven- 
ties. It  remains  for  the  president  of 
the  stake  to  determine  whether  or 
not  he  may  care  to  accept  their 
recommendations  and  process  the 
brethren  for  ordination. 

Procedures  in  Recommending  and 
Ordaining  Seventies 

The  steps  to  be  taken  in  recom- 
mending and  ordaining  seventies  are 
as  follows: 

First:  The  stake  president  will  fill 
out  "Form  C  Revised,"  giving  the 
name  and  status  of  each  brother  he 
would  like  to  interview  with  the  pur- 
pose of  having  him  ordained  to  the 
office  of  seventy.     This  he  will  send 


to  the  First  Council  of  the  Seventy. 
Since  this  is  merely  a  "Request  for 
Permission  to  Interview"  the  breth- 
ren, under  consideration,  are  not  to 
learn  at  this  time  that  they  are  being 
considered  for  the  office  of  seventy. 

Second:  Upon  receipt  of  this  re- 
quest, the  First  Council  will  study  the 
conditions  of  the  men  as  well  as  the 
conditions  of  the  quorums  affected 
and  approve  the  interview  of  such 
men  as  it  may  feel  should  be  added  to 
such  quorums. 

Third:  After  receiving  this  per- 
mission, the  stake  president  or  one 
of  his  counselors  will  interview  in- 
dividually each  of  the  men  approved 
for  interview  by  the  First  Council  of 
the  Seventy,  having  him  fill  out  the 
form  "Recommendation  for  Ordina- 
tion in  the  Priesthood."  If  satisfied 
with  the  interview,  having  found 
the  prospective  seventy  completely 
worthy,  the  stake  president  will  pre- 
sent his  name  to  the  members  of  the 
high  council  for  their  consideration 
and  approval;  but  if  the  candidate 
fails  to  qualify  for  the  office  and 
calling  of  the  seventy,  the  stake  presi- 
dent will  withhold  further  process- 
ing of  the  recommendation  and  make 
a  conscientious  effort  to  qualify,  as  to 
worthiness,  the  brother  concerned. 

Fourth:  After  the  high  council's 
approval  has  been  obtained  for  the 
ordination,  both  the  bishop  of  the 
brother's  ward  and  his  elders'  quorum 
president  will  be  asked  to  certify  as 
to  his  worthiness.  It  should  be  un- 
derstood, however,  that  this  is  not  a 
recommendation  for  ordination  from 
the  bishop  and  elders'  quorum  presi- 
dent but  merely  a  certification  of  the 
man's  worthiness. 

Fifth:  When  all  of  the  above  steps 
have  been  taken  and  the  brother  un- 
der consideration  has  been  found  to 
be  completely  worthy  to  become  a 
seventy,  the  matter  will  be  presented 
to  the  stake  priesthood  meeting  for 
final  consideration  before  submission 
of  the  recommend  again  to  the  First 
Council  of  the  Seventy.  Priesthood 
leadership  meetings  are  not  qualified 
to  give  this  approval;  therefore,  when 
it  is  not  possible  to  present  the  mat- 
ter to  the  stake  priesthood  meeting, 
it  may  be  presented  to  one  of  the  gen- 
eral sessions  of  stake  quarterly  con- 
THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


Priesthood 


ferences.  This  body  constitutes  a 
general  meeting  of  the  priesthood  of 
the  stake. 

Sixth:  All  of  the  foregoing  pro- 
cedure having  been  accomplished,  the 
recommendation  forms  will  be  sent  to 
the  First  Council  of  the  Seventy,  who, 
if  satisfied  with  the  recommendation, 
will  arrange  for  final  interview  and 
ordination  by  one  of  the  General 
Authorities  who  may  be  qualified  to 
do  that  work. 

It  is  preferable  to  follow  the  fore- 
going procedure;  however,  if  there 
should  not  be  sufficient  time  to  mail 
these  forms  to  the  First  Council,  they 
may  be  presented  to  a  member  of  the 
Council  of  the  Twelve,  to  a  member 
of  the  First  Council  of  the  Seventy, 
or  to  an  Assistant  to  the  Twelve,  who 
may  be  visiting  the  stake  for  the 
quarterly  conference.  Any  of  these 
brethren  are  authorized  to  take  care 
of  the  interviews  and  ordinations  of 
prospective  seventies. 

Conditions  Necessary  for 

Recommendations  of  Brethren  to 

Become  Seventies 

Great  care  should  be  exercised  in 
the  interviews  referred  to  above  to 
determine  that  the  candidate  be 
morally  clean  and  worthy;  that  he  be 
in  harmony  with  the  policies,  doc- 
trines, and  practices  of  the  Church 
and  not  running  counter  thereto  in 
sympathy  or  practice;  that  he  pay 
his  tithes  and  offerings  to  the  Lord 
in  full;  that  he  observes  the  Word  of 
Wisdom;  that  his  family  life  be 
exemplary;  and,  if  he  has  had  a  di- 
vorce, that  he  receive  proper  clear- 
ance from  the  First  Presidency  of  the 
Church. 

Preparatory  Experiences  Necessary 

We  think  the  elders  should  not  be 
ordained  to  the  office  of  seventy  un- 
til they  have  gained  a  considerable 
degree  of  experience  as  elders,  having 
matured  somewhat  in  the  gospel,  and 
having  become  stable  members  of  the 
Church. 

We  apply  this  principle  in  con- 
sidering young  men  called  to  serve  as 
missionaries  with  the  result  that  near- 
ly all  of  the  younger  men  are  now 
going  into  the  mission  field  as  elders. 
MAY  1955 


Great  concern  is  felt  for  the  well- 
being  of  the  quorums  of  elders,  and 
we  have  thought  it  unwise  to  ordain 
too  large  a  proportion  of  the  out- 
standing and  worthy  elders  into  the 
quorums  of  seventy  for  fear  of  un- 
duly weakening  the  elders'  quorums. 

We  have  thought  that  in  the  main 
after  returning  from  their  various 
fields  of  labor,  young  returned  mis- 
sionaries should  affiliate  with  the 
elders  in  their  respective  wards  in 
order  to  add  their  strength  to  them, 
and  also,  because  of  age,  social,  and 
fraternal  considerations,  gain  for 
themselves  more  opportunities  for 
service  and  brotherhood  in  priesthood 
activities. 

Calling  of  the  Seventy  a  Special 
One 

We  believe  that  the  calling  of  the 
seventy  is  a  special  one,  and  that 
those  so  called  should  be,  in  fact, 
as  the  revelation  states,  "especial  wit- 
nesses of  the  name  of  Christ,"  and 
that  they  should  have  the  desires, 
aptitudes,  and  inclinations  for  mis- 
sionary work. 

We  do  not  believe,  however,  that 
every  elder  who  may  be  ordained  to 
the  office  of  seventy  must  be  called 
immediately  into  missionary  service. 
We  think  that  there  should  be  a 
large  reserve  of  brethren  in  training 
for  missionary  work,  and  that  it  is 
the  function  of  the  quorums  of 
seventy  to  prepare  their  members  for 
such  service. 

There  is  no  justification  for  the 
feeling  that  the  seventies  are  inter- 
mediate between  the  elders  and  the 
high  priests.  They  hold  a  highly 
specialized  office,  ".  .  .  thus  differing 
from  other  officers  in  the  church  in 
the  duties  of  their  calling."1 

We  would  like  to  see  the  seventies 
in  the  stakes  of  Zion  used  more  and 
more  within  the  field  of  their  primary 
responsibility — that  is,  in  missionary 
service;  thus,  seventies  should  not  be 
used  in  auxiliary  capacities  when  they 
may  be  needed  for  missionary  service. 

This  would  mean  that  worthy 
seventies  who,  because  of  age,  physi- 
cal   condition,    or    for   other    reason, 


1D.  &  C.  107:25. 


can  no  longer  be  expected  to  do  mis- 
sionary work,  should  properly  be  or- 
dained high  priests  if  their  personal 
worthiness  merits  it. 

Relation  to  Bishops 

We  have  had  considerable  concern 
over  the  years  at  a  situation  which 
has  grown  up — almost  exclusively  in 
Salt  Lake  City  and  Ogden  areas — 
wherein  a  quorum  of  seventy  is  lo- 
cated within  a  single  ward.  It  has 
been  our  observation  that  under  such 
circumstances  bishops  sometimes  as- 
sume control  which,  because  of  its 
being  a  Melchizedek  Priesthood  quo- 
rum, is  unjustified.  On  the  other 
hand,  we  have  observed  that  where 
several  ward-areas  are  in  one  quo- 
rum jurisdiction  it  is  easier  to  keep 
the  spirit  and  purpose  of  the  seventy 
alive  and  maintain  a  proper  relation- 
ship between  the  bishop  and  the  quo- 
rum. This  is  a  goal  towards  which 
we  are  working. 

Factors  Considered  in  Building  Up 
Quorums  of  Seventies 

Factors  which  should  be  carefully 
considered  by  stake  presidencies  as 
well  as  by  the  First  Council  of  the 
Seventy  in  determining  the  needs  of 
building  up  or  increasing  quorums  of 
seventies  in  the  various  stakes  include 
the  following:  stake  population;  total 
number  of  elders  in  the  stake;  number 
of  elders  who  pay  a  full  tithing  and 
are  otherwise  worthy  to  be  ordained 
seventies;  the  prospective  missionary 
field,  the  number  in  the  minority 
groups  with  whom  missionary  work 
can  be  done;  the  geographical  area 
of  the  stake;  whether  the  stake  mem- 
bership is  increasing;  the  leadership 
available  for  use  as  presidents  of  the 
quorums;  the  effect  that  the  creation 
of  a  new  quorum  or  the  continuance 
of  an  existing  one  would  have  on  the 
quorums  of  elders;  the  number  of 
brethren  in  the  existing  quorums  of 
seventy;  and  any  special  circum- 
stances that  might  prevail  in  the  stake 
concerned. 

Respectfully  submitted 

The  First  Council  of  the  Seventy 

By  /s/  Levi  Edgar  Young 

353 


The  Presiding 


The  Restoration  of  the  Aaronic  Priesthood 


Two  young  men,  Joseph  Smith  and 
Oliver  Cowdery,  stood  on  the  banks 
of  the  beautiful  Susquehanna  River  near 
Harmony,  Pennsylvania.  While  their 
faces  reflected  the  seriousness  of  their 
thoughts,  it  was  evident  that  peace 
permeated  their  entire  beings.  Their 
every  act  bespoke  humility  and  faith  in 
God.  They  had  secluded  themselves 
from  the  world  that  they  might  seek 
the  counsel  of  their  Father  in  heaven. 

It  was  May  15,  1829.  Winter  was 
over.  Spring  was  in  the  air.  Nature 
had  painted  the  leaves  of  the  trees  with 
a  delicate  green,  and  the  grass  under- 
foot with  a  darker,  but  beautiful,  con- 
trasting hue.  The  song  of  the  birds 
overhead  blended  with  the  sounds  of 
the  river  to  produce  harmonious  over- 
tones that  added  to  the  serenity  of  the 
occasion.  The  sun  cast  its  golden  rays 
through  the  motionless  leaves  of  the 
semi-dense  overgrowth,  making  a  won- 
derful study  in  light  and  shadow.  All 
was  calm  and  peaceful.  It  was  indeed 
a  sacred  spot.  Gone  were  the  cares  and 
pressures  of  life,  overcome  by  the  handi- 
work of  God.  The  harmonious  beauty 
that  surrounded  them  contributed  to  the 
sacredness  of  the  place  and  the  occa- 
sion, but  the  seriousness  of  their  mis- 
sion made  them  semi-oblivious  to  it. 
They  knelt  together  in  humble  prayer. 

Ordinance  of  Baptism 

They  were  concerned  about  the 
ordinance  of  baptism.  What  was  the 
proper  mode?  How,  to  whom,  and  by 
whom  should  the  ordinance  be  per- 
formed? In  translating  the  Book  of 
Mormon,  they  had  become  more  aware 
of  the  problem  as  they  contrasted  the 
instructions  of  that  sacred  book  with 
the  practices  of  the  churches  of  their 
day.  They  knew  that  God  would  sup- 
ply the  wisdom  they  sought. 

Apparently  from  the  vastness  of  space 
came  the  clarion  voice  of  him  whom 
God  had  sent — "I  am  thy  fellow  serv- 
ant." The  resurrected  John  the  Bap- 
tist stood  before  them.  He  who  had 
come  out  of  the  wilderness  crying  re- 
pentance unto  the  people  in  his  day; 
he  who  had  baptized  our  Lord  and 
Savior  in  the  River  Jordan;  he,  the 
literal  descendant  of  Aaron  who  held 
the  keys  of  the  Aaronic  Priesthood  by 
right   and   by  ordination;   he   of  whom 

354 


Reproduced  from  a  painting  in  the  Logan  (Utah)  Temple  by  J.  Leo  Fairbanks  depict- 
ing the  restoration  of  the  Aaronic  Priesthood. 


the  Lord  said,  "No  greater  prophet  born 
of  woman";  he  who  had  been  beheaded 
for  his  courageous  denunciation  of  sin 
and  for  his  love  of  truth,  at  the  instiga- 
tion of  Herod  Antipas  and  his  wicked 
wife,  Herodias.  He  stood  before  them 
in  majesty.  The  glory  that  surrounded 
the  heavenly  messenger  was  far  more 
brilliant  than  the  May  sunshine.  His 
presence  dispelled  all  doubts  and  fears, 
and  they  opened  their  souls  to  partake 
of  his  wisdom. 

Aaronic  Priesthood  Restored 

John  laid  his  hands  upon  the  heads 
of  Joseph  Smith  and  Oliver  Cowdery 
and  conferred  upon  them  the  Aaronic 
Priesthood  keys  which  he  had  held 
through  the  centuries.  The  words  of 
his  ordination  prayer  were  indelibly  im- 
pressed upon  the  minds  of  the  young 
men. 

Upon  you  my  fellow  servants,  in  the 
name  of  Messiah  I  confer  the  Priesthood  of 
Aaron,  which  holds  the  keys  of  the  minister- 
ing of  angels,  and  of  the  gospel  of  repent- 
ance, and  of  baptism  by  immersion  for  the 
remission  of   sins;   and  this   shall   never   be 


taken  again  from  the  earth,  until  the  sons 
of  Levi  do  offer  again  an  offering  unto 
the  Lord  in  righteousness.  (D.  &  C.  Sec.  13.) 

He  told  them  that  the  Aaronic  Priest- 
hood was  an  appendage  of  the  Mel- 
chizedek  priesthood,  that  it  had  not  the 
power  of  the  laying  on  of  hands  for  the 
gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  but  that  this 
power  would  later  be  given  to  them. 
He  said  he  came  under  the  direction  of 
Peter,  James,  and  John,  who  held  the 
keys  of  the  priesthood  of  Melchizedek, 
which  priesthood,  in  due  time  would 
be  conferred  upon  them. 

They  were  then  directed  by  the  mes- 
senger to  go  down  into  the  river.  Joseph 
was  instructed  to  baptize  Oliver,  and 
in  turn,  Oliver  baptized  Joseph.  They 
were  then  to  ordain  each  other  by  the 
laying  on  of  hands.  Joseph  ordained 
Oliver  first,  and  Oliver  then  ordained 
Joseph  to  the  Aaronic  Priesthood. 

The  glorious  spiritual  experiences  that 
followed  their  baptism  and  ordination 
to  the  priesthood  were  occompanied  by 
the  spirit  of  prophecy.  As  they  left 
the  hallowed  spot,  their  hearts  were 
light.  The  Aaronic  Priesthood  was  again 
restored  to  the   earth. 

THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


Bishoprics  Page 


Prepared  by  Lee  A.  Palmer 


Award  Report  for  1954 

Applications  received  during  Jan- 
uary, February,  and  March  for  In- 
dividual Aaronic  Priesthood  Awards 
earned  during  1954  have  already 
established  an  all-time  record  for 
one  year.  Awards  approved  and 
issued  were  as  follows: 

Stake  Awards 13 

Ward  Awards  486 

100%  Seals 2,478 

Aaronic  Priesthood  Pins..  5,166 

Priests  5,537 

Teachers  5,503 

Deacons  7,293 

Total  Individual 
Awards  18,333 


Ward  Teaching 

Gaining  the  Confidence  of 
Those  We  Teach 

There  are  two  types  of  confidence  that 
are  essential  to  successful  ward 
teaching:  (1)  that  confidence  which 
ward  teachers  have  in  those  whom  they 
teach,  and,  (2)  that  confidence  which 
those  who  are  taught  have  in  their 
ward  teachers.  How  are  these  vital 
qualities  acquired? 

Ward  teachers  who  are  kind;,  solicit- 
ous, and  understanding  are  rich  in  those 
virtues  which  inspire  confidence  in  each 
other.  The  applying  of  Christian  prin- 
ciples of  goodness  in  our  way  of  life  is 
one  of  the  best  ways  to  gain  the  respect 
of  each  other.  To  be  gentle  with  our 
associates  and  considerate  of  their  feel- 
ings is  the  foundation  of  friendship. 
We  manifest  a  genuine  interest  in  the 
welfare  of  others  by  demonstrating  will- 
ingness to  help  them.  Without  under- 
standing we  cannot  penetrate  the  inner 
recesses  of  the  hearts  of  those  whom  we 
teach.  To  be  tolerant  of  weaknesses 
and  to  exhibit  a  forgiving  spirit  goes  a 
long  way  in  gaining  the  esteem  of  those 
who  are  trying  to  live  better  by  doing 
better. 

Maria  Edgeworth  told  one  of  the 
secrets  of  gaining  the  confidence  of 
others  when  she  said,  "The  human 
heart,  at  whatever  age,  opens  only  to 
the  heart  that  opens  in  return."  Ward 
teachers  should  remember  that  before 
members  open  their  hearts  to  them,  con- 
fidence has  to  be  established. 
MAY  1955 


Aaronic  Priesthood  Program  Set  May  14-15 

May  14  and  15  have  been  designated  by  the  First  Presidency  for  commemorat- 
ing the  anniversary  of  the  restoration  of  the  Aaronic  Priesthood. 

Suggestions  for  Saturday,  May  14,  and  the  program  to  be  followed  in  sacra- 
ment meeting,  May  15,  appeared  on  these  pages  in  The  Improvement  Era  for 
April  1955  and  in  the  "Church  Section"  of  the  Deseret  News,  April  2. 


BISHOPRIC  SETS  "GREATER  APPRECIATION  OF  BIBLE" 
AS  AARONIC  PRIESTHOOD  GOAL 

Bishop  John  Edmund  Coles  of  the  San  Antonio  Ward,  Houston  Stake,  together 
with  his  counselors  Gordon  L.  Wright  and  Herbert  E.  Turley,  are  currently  using 
the  time  of  the  combined  Ward  Aaronic  Priesthood  meeting,  the  second  week  in 
each  month,  to  teach  all  of  their  Aaronic  Priesthood  members  a  greater  apprecia- 
tion of  the  Holy  Bible. 

In  the  top  photograph,  Clara  Mays,  librarian  in  charge  of  the  Rare  Books 
section,  San  Antonio  Library,  is  exhibiting  a  copy  of  the  first  edition  of  the  King 
James  Bible  printed  in  1611  A.D.  On  the  left  is  a  page  from  the  Gutenberg  Bible 
printed  in  1452  A.D.  Senior  members  of  the  Aaronic  Priesthood  and  the  bishopric 
are  shown  viewing  these  exhibitions. 

In  the  lower  photograph,  the  bishopric  and  Aaronic  Priesthood  under  21  are 
being  shown  the  Manuscript  Bible  found  in  a  British  monastery  1250  A.D.  This 
ancient  volume  was  written  entirely  by  hand  in  Latin. 

The  report  of  this  unusual  project,  and  the  details  given,  were  submitted  by 
Gordon  L.  Wright  who  is  the  instructor  currently  assigned  to  take  the  lead  in 
this  particular  meeting  each  month. 


Bishopric   of   San   Antonio    Ward,   Houston    (Texas)    Stake,    and   Aaronic    Priesthood 
members,  examine  ancient  manuscripts,  exhibited  by  Librarian  Clara  Mays. 

355 


Mrs.  Adam  S.  Bennion  is  a  re- 
markable woman.  She  possesses 
amazing  vitality  and  is  one  of 
those  rare  persons  who  seems  to  ac- 
complish a  tremendous  amount  with 
no  unusual  show  of  effort.  She  is 
always  doing  things  for  people — 
thoughtful,  loving  kindnesses,  but  she 
does  them  quietly,  unobtrusively. 
She  is  a  gracious,  hospitable  hostess, 
and  she  and  Dr.  Bennion  have  a 
great  number  of  friends. 

Sister  Bennion  cooks  the  old- 
fashioned  way,  not  always  using  exact 
measurements.  She  adds  a  pinch  of 
this  and  a  dash  of  that,  and  she  can 
tell  by  the  feel  of  her  hand  in  the 
oven  when  it  is  hot  enough.  As  a 
cook  she  is  perhaps  most  famous  as  a 
candy  maker.  We  are  not  including 
her  candy  recipes,  however,  because 
they  seem  to  need  her  special  touch 
to  make  them  perfect,  but  here  are 
several  of  the  dishes  that  she  prepares 
which  are  simple  and  delicious: 

Tuna  Dish 

1  small  package  noodles 

1  can  mushroom  soup 
\]/2  cans  tuna  (separated) 

1  can   mushrooms,   pieces   and  stems 
Y2  cup  top  milk 
\x/2  cups  rolled,  buttered  cornflakes 


Add  layer  of  noodles,  soup,  mush- 
rooms, and  tuna  until  all  is  used.  Add 
milk  and  top  with  buttered  cornflakes. 
Bake  in  375°  oven  for  45  minutes. 

Vegetable  Salad 

1  large  can  tomatoes 
1  tablespoon  sugar 

1  tablespoon  vinegar 
Bay  leaf 

Y4  large  lemon  cut  small 

2  packages  gelatin 
1  cup  water 

1  can  shrimps 

2  diced  hard-boiled  eggs 

(Celery   and  cucumbers,  if  desired) 
Salt  and  pepper 

Boil  tomatoes,  sugar,  vinegar,  bay 
leaf,  lemon,  and  strain.  Soak  gelatin  in 


The  Savor  of 
Old -Fashioned  Cooking 

by  Iris  Parker 


water.  Add  this  to  tomato  mixture. 
Add  shrimps  and  eggs  (and  celery  and 
cucumber)  and  salt  and  pepper  to  taste. 
Pour  in  molds.  Chill  and  serve  with 
mayonnaise. 

Ice  Box  Sherbet 

1  large  can  crushed  pineapple 

1  cup  sugar 

1  cup  (or  more)  cream 

1  can  chilled,  condensed  milk 

Cook  pineapple  and  sugar  together 
for  five  minutes.  Chill.  Whip  cream 
and  condensed  milk.  Add  to  pineapple 
mixture  and  put  in  ice  tray.  Stir  a 
few  times. 

Oatmeal  Cookies 

l'/4  cups  sugar 

1  cup  butter 

3  cups  oatmeal 

2  eggs 

1  cup  nuts 

1  cup  raisins 

y2  cup  sour  milk 

l/2  teaspoon  salt 

1  teaspoon  cinnamon 

1  teaspoon  ginger 

1  teaspoon  soda 

2  cups  flour 

Cream  butter  and  sugar.  Add  eggs. 
Mix  well.  Add  milk  and  dry  ingredi- 
ents. Drop  by  spoonfuls  onto  a  greased 
cookie  sheet.  Bake  in  375°  oven  12  to 
15  minutes. 

Raisin  Cake 

1  package  seeded  raisins 
\l/2  cups  sugar 

l/2  cup  butter 

2  eggs 


Minerva  Young  Bennion 

3  cups  flour 

1  teaspoon  soda 

2  teaspoons  cinnamon 
2  teaspoons  nutmeg 

1  cup  nuts 

Simmer  raisins  in  2  cups  of  water  for 
15  minutes.  Save  1  cup  raisin  juice 
and  drain  the  rest.  Combine  ingredients 
as  for  standard  cake  recipe,  adding 
raisins  and  nuts  last.  Bake  in  two  loaf 
tins  for  one  hour. 

Chow  Chow 

2  quarts  small  cucumbers 
2  quarts  larger  ones  (about  3") 
2  quarts  small  onions  (peeled) 
1  small  head  cauliflower 

(broken  in  pieces) 
4  quarts  water 
1  pint  salt 

Let  stand  in  this  brine  for  24  hours, 
stirring  occasionally.     Drain  and  rinse. 

Mix  \l/2  pints  cider  vinegar  with  % 
pint  water  and  heat. 

Mix  together: 
l/2  cup  flour 

{Concluded  on  page  358) 


356 


THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


Homemade  Goodness  in  21  minutes! 


m 


Fudge  Mounds 


m  HOMEMADE  COOKIES  like  these, 

I  are  no  trick  with  Sperry  Drifted 
!  Snow  Flour.  Excellent  results 
\  are  assured  because  Drifted 
\  Snow  is  ''home-perfected"  to 
!  give  you  homemade  goodness 
in  all  your  baking.  Martha 
;  Meade  recipes,Queen  Bess  pat- 
"■£  tern  silverware  coupon  in  sack. 


S&errjr 


One  bowl— 3  minutes  to  mix 


Sift  into  a  mixing  bowl— 

V/i  cups  sifted  Drifted  Snow  Flour 

%  teaspoon  baking  soda 

%  teaspoon  salt 

Add- 

1  cup  brown  sugar  (packed) 
Vb  cup  soft  shortening 

1  teaspoon  vanilla 
%  cup  milk 

1  large  egg 

2  squares  unsweetened  chocolate,  melted  (2  oz.) 


Beat  by  electric  mixet  on  medium  speed 
or  vigorously  with  a  spoon  for  3  minutes. 
Scrape  sides  and  bottom  often.  Let  batter 
stand  a  few  minutes.  Drop  by  large  table- 
spoonfuls  on  ungreased  baking  sheets.  Bake 
in  moderately  hot  oven,  375°,  12-15  min- 
utes. Makes  IVz  dozen. 

When  cool  spread  on 

BROWNED  BUTTER  FROSTING:  Heat  V4 
cup  butter  until  brown.  Blend  in  2  cups 
sifted  powdered  sugar,  2  tbsp.  cream,  Yt  tsp- 
vanilla.  VARIATIONS:  Frost  with  Chocolate 
Icing  or  White  Icing  tinted  pink  and  green. 


DRIFTED  SNOW 

hour' 


~*ffij_~ 


DRIFTED  SHOW  FLOUR  •  Sperry  Division  of  General  Mills  •  World's  Largest  Flour  Millers 


•HOME-PERFECTED"®  ENRICHED 


STOP  WASTING 
FIREPLACE  HEAT 


build  around 


>the  tPilplJUQ^Heat 
Circulating  Fireplace  Unit 


HEATFORM  air  chambers  around  the  firebox  and 
dome  capture  and  circulate  to  the  home  a  large 
volume  of  heat  lost  up  the  chimney  by  the  old- 
fashioned  fireplace, 

HEATFORM  prevents  construction  mistakes  often 
resulting  in  smoke  trouble.  It  is  a  perfect  form  to 
guide  the  masonry  walls  (hearth  to  flue)  to 
complete  any  design  fireplace. 
HEATFORM  fireplaces  cost  but  little  more.  The 
unit  consists  of  firebox,  throat,  dome,  and 
damper,  replacing  some  materials  and  labor 
necessary  to  build  the  ordinary  fireplace. 
HEATFORM  has  all  the  good  qualities  of  any 
heat  circulating  fireplace  unit,  plus  these  exclu- 
sive features: 

—  Die-farmed   ribbed   re-inforced   firebox 

—  More  heating  area  per  size  unit 

—  Contact  of  air  to  all  heating  surfaces 

—  Greater  air  circulation  and  more  heat 
"-  No  exposed   metal   beneath  chimney  to 

rust  out 


The  above  fireplace  is  built 
around  Model  "A"  unit.  Side 
cool-air  inlets  and  front 
warm-air  outlet  were  used  for 
greater  heating  efficiency  and 
economy  of  installation.  Side 
warm-air  outlets  may  be  used, 
if  preferred. 


TT~W. 

The  above  modern  corner  fire- 
place built  around  Model  "S" 
(at  right)  affords  view  of  fire 
from  front  and  either  side.  If 
you  prefer  view  of  fire  from 
front  and  both  sides,  use 
Model   "M". 

Write  for  name  of  nearest  dealer 

and  FREE  brochure 

giving  complete  information. 

SOLD  THRU  BUILDING  MATERIAL  DEALERS 

(*)  HEATFORM  is  the  registered  trademark  of 

SUPERIOR  FIREPLACE  CO. 

DEPT.  IE  551  DEPT.  IE  551 

1708  E.  15th  St.         ©       601  North  Point  Rd. 
Los  Angeles  21,  Calif.  Baltimore  6,  Maryland 

358 


KNOW  YOUR  IDS  COOKS 


(Concluded  from  page  356) 

6  tablespoons  mustard  (dry) 

1  tablespoon  tumeric 
l/4  teaspoon  cayenne 
l/2  teaspoon  worchestershire  sauce 
%  cup  granulated  sugar 

Make  a  paste  of  dry  ingredients  and 
add  1  tablespoon  olive  oil,  then  add  to 
hot  vinegar.  Place  pickles  in  and  cook 
8  to  10  minutes,  until  crispy  tender.  At 
the  last  minute  Mrs.  Bennion  adds  one 
medium  sized  bottle  of  Cross  &  Black- 
well  Chow  Chow  and  stirs  until  well 
mixed. 

Place  in  jars  while  still  hot. 

Minerva  Bennion  is  the  daughter 
of  the  late  Brigadier  General  Richard 
W.  Young,  who  fought  in  the  Span- 
ish-American War  and  led  the  boys 
from  Utah  during  the  first  world 
war.  He  was  also  Governor  General 
of  the  Philippine  Islands  for  many 
years.  This  background  of  the  life 
of  the  US  Army  has  added  to  Mrs. 
Bennion's  charm  as  hostess.  Her 
mother,  now  ninety-two  years  of  age, 
is  still  living  and  in  good  health,  al- 
though frail.     Brother  Bennion  paid 


tribute  to  his  wife's  mother,  along 
with  his  wife  and  his  own  mother,  in 
his  first  address  after  becoming  an 
Apostle: 

.  .  .  my  life  has  been  enriched  by  three 
wonderful  women:  the  mother  who  bore 
me  and  nurtured  me  through  privations  of 
those  days  when  with  five  little  ones  she 
made  ends  meet  somehow;  the  companion 
of  my  life  who  for  forty-one  years  has 
sustained  me  with  an  unfailing  devotion; 
and  a  mother-in-law  who  has  none  of  the 
attributes  that  we  so  familiarly  attach  to 
the  name,  Sister  Richard  W.  Young,  with 
her  ninety  years  of  benediction. 

Brother  and  Sister  Bennion  have 
five  children  and  twenty  grandchil- 
dren, who  keep  their  lives  full  and 
busy.  She  also  belongs  to  several 
clubs  of  a  cultural  nature.  Her 
hands  are  never  idle,  and  she  has 
lovely  needlework  and  crocheting  to 
show  for  it. 

She  has  always  been  active  in  the 
Church,  having  served  in  the  Sunday 
School,  the  MIA,  and  the  Relief  So- 
ciety. She  is  presently  a  visiting 
teacher  in  the  Relief  Society. 


BASKET  BIRTHDAYS 

by  Evelyn   Witter 


Basket  birthdays  in  the  spring  and 
summer  have  become  an  "institu- 
tion" at  our  house  because  they 
are  always  so  successful.  We  learned 
early  in  raising  our  family,  that  the 
public  parks  afford  much  more  amuse- 
ment for  the  pre-teen  group  than  par- 


loi 


games 


that    is    when    the 


weather  sets  the  pace,  and  the  chil- 
dren can't  resist  the  call  of  outdoor 
fun. 

That  was  the  basic  reason  for 
birthday  parties  in  the  park.  But  we 
learned  that  a  basket  party  was  much 
easier  for  mother  to  manage,  too,  with 
no  worry  about  boisterousness  in  the 


THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


house,  no  wondering  about  constant 
amusement  for  the  guests,  and  most 
of  all  no  elaborate  refreshments,  in- 
volving expense  and  long  preparation. 

The  refreshments  for  a  party  in  the 
park  are  easily  fixed,  can  be  attractive 
to  juvenile  appetites,  and  are  as  nour- 
ishing as  they  are  pretty;  for  example: 
For  a  basket  party  make  a  variety  of 
sandwiches,  planning  four  slices  of 
bread  for  each  child. 

Delicious  sandwich  companions  can 
be  made  by  stringing  two  stuffed 
olives  and  a  pineapple  chunk  on  a 
small  skewer. 

Put  potato  salad  in  as  many  little 
cardboard  cartons  (saved  from  ice 
cream  cups)  as  there  are  children  at 
the  party. 

A  cupcake  and  a  banana  for  each 
child  complete  the  well-balanced 
menu.  Beverage,  cold  lemonade  or 
apricot  nectar,  of  course,  is  carried  in 
a  thermos  jug. 

Paper  birthday  napkins  and  the 
gifts  for  the  honoree  add  the  neces- 
sary touch  to  the  basket  to  give  it  the 
birthday  party  touch.  Candles  may  be 
placed  on  the  cupcakes,  one  in  each 
until  correct  number  is  reached.  Have 
song  and  candle  blowing  before  cup- 
cakes are  served. 

Is  there  going  to  be  a  youngster's 
birthday  at  your  house  this  spring  or 
summer?  There  is!  Then,  if  you 
would  like  to  take  advantage  of  the 
weather  and  let  the  children  have  a 
fun  day  in  the  park,  and  if  you  would 
like  to  serve  an  easy  to  prepare  but 
attractive,  nutritious,  and  economical 
birthday  treat,  why  not  plan  a  basket 
birthday? 


HANDY  HINTS 

Payment  for  Handy  Hints  used  will  be 
one  dollar  upon  publication.  In  the  event 
that  two  with  the  same  idea  are  submitted, 
the  one  postmarked  earlier  will  receive  the 
dollar.  None  of  the  ideas  can  be  returned, 
but  each  will  receive  careful  consideration. 

An  empty  egg  carton  makes  a  non-squash 
storage  container  for  carrying  dressed  eggs 
for  picnic  fare. — H.  L.,  Camp  White,  Oregon. 

When  hanging  curtains  with  tiebacks, 
adjust  the  window  shades  evenly  all  around 
the  room  to  the  point  where  you  want  the 
tiebacks.  You  will  then  get  them  even 
without  measuring. — Mrs.  E.  G.,  Grinnell, 
Iowa. 

After  many  "trial  and  error"  attempts  to 
remove  chewing  gum  from  almost  every- 
thing, I  found  that  the  white  of  an  egg 
will  do  the  work  very  nicely. — A.  B.,  Cleve- 
land, Ohio. 
MAY  1955 


IT'S   NEW!   STARTLING!   INTERESTING! 

the  HAMMOND  ORGAN 

with   "TOUCH-RESPONSE   PERCUSSION!" 

Offering  Even  Greater  Musical  Value  Than   Ever  Before 
For   the   Church,   Home   and   School 


•  HEAR   IT -PLAY   IT 

•  CHIMES-BELLS-^HARP-CELESTE 

•  LOW   COST 

•  LOW   UPKEEP 

•  EASY  TO  PLAY 


sraiSisiuwir 


-'  ■"* 


Protection  From  Water  Damage 

Thompson's  Water  Seal  locks  out  moisture  from 
porous  surfaces— brick,  concrete,  stucco,  wood,  can- 
vas, etc.  It  is  deep-penetrating,  transparent,  leaves 
no  film.  Use  brush,  spray  or  mop.  Helps  lock 
paint  to  surface.  It  sheds  water.  Use  on  walls, 
floors,  foundations,  indoors,  outdoors.  Covers  up 
to  400  sq.  ft.  per  gal.  At  paint,  hdwe,  building 
supply  stores,  or  direct.  $1.55  per  qt.,  $4.78  per 
gal.,  ppd.  (No  C.O.D.s  please.)  E.  A.  Thompson 
Co.,     Inc.,    Merchandise    Mart,    San    Francisco    3. 


FORT  SMITH 
FOLDING  BANQUET  TABLES 


Plastic   Birch  or   Masonite   Tops — 1V»"   Tubu- 
lar  Steel   Legs — 16   ga.    Steel   Apron    —   Alu- 
minum   Banded    Edges,    Flush    with    Top. 
Storage  Racks  for  Tables  and  Chairs 

HIGHEST   QUALITY    -    LOW    IN    PRICE 

Chapels  and  Wards  may  direct  their  in- 
quiries to  the  Church  Purchasing  Dept.,  47 
East  South  Temple,   Salt  Lake   City   1,   Utah. 

Distributed  and  Displayed  by 

H.   W.   TAYLOR   CO.,   INC. 

2378   So.    State    St.  Phone    84-1301 

Salt  Lake  City  15,  Utah 

100%  L.D.S.  Owned  and  Operated 


GOOD-FOR-NOTHING   CORNER 

GOES    TO   WORK   WITH 

SPACE-SAVING 

M0DERNF01D  DOORS 

'ft  More  space  for  living 
"ft  Fits  any  size  opening 
~k  Vinyl-covered  —  won't   fade  —  washes 

easily 
"k  Wide  range  of  decorator  colors 


modernfold 

DOORS 


©  1955  NEW  CASTLE  PRODUCTS.  INC. 

For  demonstration  write  or  phone 

ALDER'S 

1343  South   Main  Salt   Lake  City 

Phone  7-1531 


Please    send     me     your    free    booklet    entitled 
"More    Space    for    Living"    IE-5. 

NAME     

Address    , 

City State 


359 


COMICS 


•  • 


In  The  Tribune 

For  its  instructive  and  wholesome  cartoon 
features,  The  Salt  Lake  Tribune  has 
received  many  appreciative  letters  and 
comments.    Comics  that  glorify  what  is  noble 
in  mankind  —  like  Judge  Parker,  Mary  Worth 
and  Joe  Palooka,  and  comics  of  genuine 
universal  amusement  —  like  Blondie,  Dennis 
the  Menace  and  They'll  Do  It  Every 
Time,  find  an  appreciated  place  in  The 

Tribune.  And  comics  that  instruct  -  like 
Lewis  and  Clark,  The  Old  Glory  Story, 
Tales  from  the  Great  Book  and  True  Life 
Adventures— are  in  keeping  with  the  Tribune's 
purpose  to  serve  its  readers  with  wholesome 
and  enlightening  amusement  through  the 

cartoon  medium.  That  is  another  reason 
why  One  of  America's  Great  Newspapers  is 


C5P 


tt 


ONE   OF  AMERICA'S   GREAT  NEWSPAPERS 

The  Tie  that  Binds  the  Intermountain  West 


It's  Easy  to  Stack  Up  Your  Dollars 

WITH  A 

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MONEY  BANK 

CONVENIENT  .   .  .  COMPACT 

It's  the  best  way  to  START  saving  —  and  the  best  way  to  CONTINUE 
saving.    And   it's  the  EASY  WAY  -  SAVE  A  LITTLE  EVERY  DAY! 

ASK   US  ABOUT   IT 


ZION'S  SAVINGS  BANK 
&  TRUST  COMPANY 


DAVID   O.   McKAY,    President 

South  Temple  &  Main,  Salt  Lake  City 

Member  Federal  Deposit  Insurance  Corporation 


360 


She  sat  nibbling  the  end  of  her 
pen  as  she  contemplated  last 
month's  accounts.  Everything 
seemed  to  cost  so  much  more  than 
before  the  war.  James'  salary  was 
good,  but  entertaining  cost  so  much 
more  than  she  had  anticipated.  She 
frowned  and  concentrated  on  the  long 
list  of  expenditures.  Food  had  cer- 
tainly become  a  major  item. 

As  he  entered,  his  arms  laden  with 
bulky  papers,  James  banged  the  door 
to  the  small  study  where  his  wife 
sat. 

"Good  morning,  darling,"  he  said 
kissing  his  wife's  raised  cheek,  "I 
didn't  think  you  would  be  up  so  early 
after  last  night's  affair. 

"I'm  trying  to  do  the  monthly  ac- 
counts, James.  Since  we've  been  in 
Washington,  our  expenses  have  quad- 
rupled." 

"Sounds  bad,"  her  husband  said 
cheerfully,  "but  you'll  manage.  You 
always  do.  Incidentally  I've  asked 
the  ambassador  from  England  to  din- 
ner tonight  so  we  can  talk  com- 
fortably about  that  trade  agreement." 

"No,"  she  said  horrified,  "I've 
nothing  prepared.     We  can't." 

"This  is  important,  dear,"  Jim 
trailed  from  the  room;  "you'll  man- 
age somehow.  Besides,  I'm  told  you're 
the  most  wonderful  hostess  in  Wash- 
ington." 

The  woman  looked  after  her  hus- 
band's retreating  back  with  exasper- 
ated humor.  James  lived  for  his  work 
and  his  country.  The  details  of  every- 
day living  were  her  responsibility. 
Usually  she  welcomed  her  duties.  But 
such  short  notice!  And  she  did  pride 
THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


The  A  mbassador 
Came  to  Dinner 

by  Jerry  Wooden 


herself  on  her  reputation  as  a  hostess 
and  her  ability  to  give  perfect  din- 
ners. She  couldn't  serve  just  any- 
thing. 

She  contemplated  last  month's  food 
bills  again  and  sighed.  She  would 
have  the  joint  of  beef  tonight  and 
Yorkshire  pudding.  The  ambassador 
would  like  that.  But  she  would  need 
something  special  for  dessert — some- 
thing different  that  would  be  remem- 
bered and  later  talked  about.  A 
glance  at  the  food  bills  again  told 
her  that  dessert  must  be  made  from 
milk  and  eggs  as  these  were  the  only 
things  on.  the  market,  both  plentiful 
and   cheap. 

She  began  to  hum  a  little  tune,  as 
she  hurried  to  the  kitchen.  She  liked 
using  her  wits  and  ingenuity  to  cre- 
ate something  different.  She  would 
talk  with  the  cook,  and  together  they 
would  prepare  eggs  and  milk  in  a 
new  way. 

Hours  later,  radiant  in  a  yellow 
satin  gown  that  had  come  from  Paris, 
she  sat  at  the  foot  of  the  huge 
cherrywood  table.  She  noted  the  am- 
bassador ate  heartily.  Dessert  was 
served  by  Ephraim,  resplendent  in  a 
velvet  coat  with  gilt  buttons.  She 
watched  the  ambassador,  as  he  tasted 
the  smooth  confection  covered  with 
fresh  strawberries  from  the  garden. 
The  ambassador  ate  eagerly,  and  the 
woman  relaxed. 

The  ambassador  leaned  forward 
and  spoke  the  length  of  the  table. 

"This  is  uncommonly  good,  Ma'am. 
May  I  ask  what  it  is  called?" 

She  saw  the  pleased  expression  on 
her  husband's  face.  His  dealings 
with  the  ambassador  would  undoubt- 
edly  be   successful. 

"It's  an  American  dish,  Your  Ex- 
cellency," Dolly  Madison  said  quick- 
ly, "we  call  it  iced  cream." 
MAY  1955 


ake   your   SALADS 
and    SEAFOODS... 


*>" 


SUM  DRfSSlM 


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361 


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362 


by  Edith  F.  Shepherd 

MEMBER,   YWMIA   GENERAL    BOARD 


IN  the  familiar  and  well-loved  play, 
Our  Town,  the  stage  manager  in 
one  of  his  philosophical  comments 
about  the  lives  of  the  characters  says 
this: 

I'm  awfully  interested  in  how  big  things 
.  .  .  begin.  You  know  how  it  is.  You're 
[young]  and  you  make  some  decisions; 
then  whisssh!  you're  seventy.  You've  been 
a  lawyer  for  fifty  years,  and  that  white 
haired  lady  at  your  side  has  eaten  over 
iifty  thousand  meals  with  you.  How  do 
such  things  begin?  (Thornton  Wilder,  Our 
Town.) 

If  I  were  in  my  teens,  I  would  know 
that  big  things  begin  in  little  daily 
habits  and  decisions.  I  would  face 
squarely  the  realization  that  the  plan 
of  life  calls  upon  us  to  make  our  most 
significant  and  far-reaching  decisions 
in  a  few  short  years  of  youth.  Know- 
ing that  I  lacked  the  wisdom  and 
judgment  that  come  from  experience, 
I  hope  I  would  have  the  wisdom  to 
be  proud  of  high  ideals.  Even  in 
those  years  when  I  felt  determined, 
sometimes  rebelliously  determined,  to 
be  independent  and  mature,  I  think 
I  would  have  the  good  sense  to  know 
that   the  counsel  of  my   parents,    al- 


wa}< 


s    given    in    love    and    based    on 


experience,  is  worth  listening  to  and 
following. 

Strengthened  by  idealism  and  lov- 
ing counsel  I  would  make  three  de- 
cisions to  prepare  me  for  the  big 
things  of  life. 

I  would  decide  to  have  fun.  I 
would  make  a  real  effort  to  have  an 
active  share  in  the  life  about  me. 
First,  I  would  fight  self-conscious 
shyness  with  a  deliberate  effort  to 
forget  myself  in  an  honest  interest  in 
activities  and  people  about  me.  I 
would  cultivate  very  earnestly  a 
habit  of  liking  people,  of  being  in- 
terested in  them,  and  of  showing  my 
liking  and  interest  with  a  friendly 
manner.  Then,  I  would  make  a 
further  determined  effort  to  be  in 
the  activities  of  young  people.    When 


volunteers  were  called  for  to  serve 
on  a  committee  at  school  or  church, 
I  would  offer  my  services.  Once  on 
the  committee,  I  would  work  at  it 
so  faithfully  that  I  would  be  wanted 
again.  At  school,  I  would  find  out 
from  classmates  and  teachers  what 
clubs  are  open  to  everyone,  and  I 
would  join  active  clubs  to  have  fun 
or  to  develop  my  special  interests 
and  talents.  If  I  were  like  most  other 
young  people,  not  lucky  enough  to  be 
an  elected  student  body  officer,  I 
would  look  for  some  other  student 
activities  where  a  willing  worker 
would  be  welcome;  for  example,  I 
would  go  to  the  sponsors  of  school 
publications  and  ask  how  one  might 
get  on  the  staff.  Maybe  I  couldn't 
be  editor,  but  I  could  do  something — 
typing,  securing  advertisements,  or 
even  running  errands.  Maybe  I 
couldn't  be  the  artist  who  created  the 
Junior  Prom,  but  I  could  cut  crepe 
paper  and  hold  the  hammer.  While 
it  might  not  be  my  gift  to  be  just 
naturally  cute  or  popular  or  to  be  a 
"big  wheel,"  I  would  try  to  be  friend- 
ly, willing,  and  dependable  so  that  I 
would  earn  a  share  in  the  activities 
of  my  group.  Finally,  I  would  find 
and  develop  any  talents  I  might  have 
to  use  in  the  activities  of  the  crowd 
to  strengthen  my  personality,  and  to 
add  interest  and  zest  to  life. 

My  second  decision  would  be  to 
work  and  study  hard.  If  I  could  be 
in  my  teens  again,  I  know  now  that 
I  should  study  harder  than  I  ever  did. 
I  know  now  that  though  I  may  not 
be  a  "brain,"  diligent  and  honest 
study  would  give  me  the  security  of 
having  a  satisfactory  degree  of  suc- 
cess in  classwork;  the  respect  of 
teachers  and  other  students;  and  more 
important  still,  that  as  I  felt  the  de- 
light of  new  knowledge  and  keener 
appreciations,  study  would  give  to  me 
a  growing  intellectual  curiosity  to 
keep  me  alert  and  interested,  to  widen 
my  horizons,  and  to  enrich  my  life. 
THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


Yes,  I  would  study  hard  if  I  could 
be  a  young  student  again.  I  know 
now  that  I  could  study  better  and 
have  fun,  too,  if  I  learned  to  manage 
time  and  to  use  it  efficiently.  And 
so,  in  order  to  have  my  fun  and  my 
scholastic  success,  I  would  learn  the 
hard,  hard  lesson  of  the  value  of 
time.  I  would  budget  the  hours  for 
study,  for  music  lessons,  for  church, 
for  activities.  There  would  be  time 
enough  though  I  might  miss  a  few 
television  shows.  I  would  learn  the 
value  of  a  little  time:  A  fifteen-min- 
ute bus  ride  is  long  enough  for  a  mem- 
ory work  assignment.  While  the 
class  is  getting  settled,  there  is  time 
enough  to  review  the  lesson. 

As  I  advanced  in  work  and  study, 
I  would  try  honestly  and  fearlessly  to 
learn  that  difficult  lesson,  know  thy- 
self. In  this  self  knowledge  I  would 
try  to  find  the  proper  balance  of  my 
own  capabilities,  limitations,  and  am- 
bitions. Then  I  could  wisely  direct 
my  work  toward  the  realization  of 
realistically  planned  goals  for  my 
lifetime. 

Finally,  I  would  make  a  third  de- 
cision— to  keep  close  to  my  church 
and  my  home  for  help  in  forming  the 
patterns  of  right  conduct,  in  choosing 
my  intimate  friends,  and  certainly  in 
building  a  philosophy  of  life  based 
on  testimonv.     I  think  I  would  have 

J 

moments  of  doubt,  perhaps  even  tur- 
moil of  mind,  as  I  struggled  toward 
a  firm  faith.  At  such  times,  while  I 
would  not  ignore  the  wisdom  of 
scientists  and  philosophers  in  their 
search  for  truth,  I  would  seek  dili- 
gently and  prayerfully  for  the  mean- 
ing of  life  in  the  scriptures,  in  the 
study  of  the  gospel,  in  the  teachings 
of  the  Church.  I  would  seek  to  learn 
of  my  immortal  soul  through  the  prin- 
ciples of  religion  rather  than  merely 
through  reliance  on  my  own  waver- 
ing judgment  or  the  scholarship  and 
wisdom  of  men. 

As  I  made  my  decisions  to  have 
fun,  to  work  and  study,  to  seek  the 
guidance  of  home  and  church,  I 
would  know  that  whatever  influence 
kept  me  from  wanting  to  pray  was 
an  evil  influence  and  that  through 
constant  prayer  I  could  gain  the  faith 
I  would  need — -faith  in  myself  to  live 
and  achieve  worthily;  in  the  essen- 
tial goodness  of  mankind  as  brothers 
and  as  children  of  God;  and  above  all, 
since  these  other  faiths  are  not 
enough,  a  sustaining  faith  in  the  in- 
finite wisdom  and  mercy  of  God. 
MAY  1955 


TLow  9£L  0jv  Jo 

UTAH  STATE 


•  • 


For  a  full  quarter  of  Summer  School 
in  1955.  Numerous  special  courses; 
workshops,  institutes,  lyceums,  lec- 
tures, and  recreational  events  are 
listed.  The  detailed  schedule  is  now 
ready.    Send  for  your  copy. 

Family  Life  Institute  June  13-14 

REGULAR   SUMMER   QUARTER-JUNE    13-JULY  22 

SECOND    SESSION  -  JULY   26-AUGUST   26 
FALL  QUARTER  REGISTRATION   -  SEPTEMBER  23 


UTAH  STATE  AGRICULTURAL  COLLEGE 


LOGAN,   UTAH 


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THE 


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363 


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364 


Controlling  the  Past 


(Continued  from  page  308) 
witness.  We  may  not  ask  A  for  B's 
testimony— only  B  can  speak  for  B, 
and  when  Professor  Shorey  pompous- 
ly entitles  a  book  by  himself  What 
Plato  Said  he  is  officiously  interpos- 
ing his  own  person  between  Plato 
and  the  reader,  offering  himself,  like 
an  insinuating  dragoman,  as  inter- 
preter for  one  of  the  most  marvelously 
articulate  men  who  ever  lived — 
whether  Plato  wants  him  or  not. 

Only  a  perfect  translation  is  ever 
acceptable  as  evidence  in  any  situa- 
tion,  for   if   it   is   anything   short   of 
absolutely   perfect,    how   can   we   be 
sure  at  any  given  moment  that  the 
translator  has  not  slipped  up?     But 
can   there   be    a   perfect   translation? 
How  would  it  deal  with  double  mean- 
ings and  puns  of  which  the  ancients 
were    so    fond?      Or    how   should    it 
convey  something  which  the  original 
writer  had  no  intention  of  telling  us? 
For  the  student  of  the  past  the  great 
value    and    charm    of    many    a    text 
lies   in  what   it  reveals   without   the 
author's  knowledge,  as  when  the  ter- 
minology of  the  philosophers  uncon- 
sciously   reveals    their    social    back- 
grounds   and    prejudices.     The    old 
writings  are  like  questionnaires  which 
have  been  filled  out  by  the  subjects 
with  sly  intent  to  deceive,  unaware  as 
they  are  that  their  every  word  tells 
the     skilled     investigator    something 
about  themselves  which  they  do  not 
wish  told.     But  a  translation  should 
report,     according     to     Wilamowitz, 
only  what  the  translator  thinks  the 
author   had   in   mind,    that  is,   what 
he  wanted   to  convey.     This   rule  is 
terribly    confining,    but    it    can't    be 
broken,  for  if  a  translator  is  allowed 
to  introduce  into  a  writing  what  the 
author  neither  had  in  mind  nor  said 
in  so  many  words,  there  is  no  limit 
to  what  he  might  read  into   a   text, 
setting  forth  as  actual  statements  of 
the  original  what   is   to   be  detected 
only   by   an   interpretation   of   clues. 
The   translator   has    no   right    to    go 
beyond  the   writer's   intent;   but   the 
reader  of  an  original  is  bound  by  no 
such  obligation — there  is  no  limit  to 
the  things  that  the  text  might  legiti- 
mately convey  to  him.     This   is   no 
mere   rationalization:    the   experience 
of   any    teacher   of   the    classics    will 
confirm  the  observation,   made   with 
wonder  and  amazement  by  each  suc- 
ceeding generation,  that  every  read- 
ing of  an   ancient  author  is   a   new 
THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


experience   full  of  the  most   surpris- 
ing discoveries. 

Folly  Number  Three — The  Substi- 
tute Flavor:  The  commonest  objec- 
tion to  translations  is  that  they  lose 
much  of  the  "flavor"  of  the  original. 
Though  that  is  by  no  means  the  worst 
charge  against  them,  it  is  a  serious 
one,  for  the  "flavor"  is  not  merely 
weakened  or  denatured  by  transla- 
tion, it  is  usually  destroyed  altogether, 
and  in  its  place  is  submitted  some- 
thing far  different  and  almost  always 
far  inferior.  That  is  because  the 
commonly  translated  works  of  an- 
tiquity are  those  of  high  literary 
merit,  while  the  men  who  do  the 
translating  are  almost  always  those 
of  low  literary  gifts.  There  is  a  say- 
ing in  England  that  translation  is 
the  lazy  scholar's  refuge.  The  more 
feeble,  unoriginal,  and  unenterprising 
the  mind,  the  more  easily  and  natural- 
ly it  falls  into  the  vice  of  simply 
translating  the  text  that  it  has  been 
taught  to  construe  since  childhood. 
Thus  most  translations  are  made  by 
the  last  men  in  the  world  who  should 
be  allowed  to  make  them — academic 
drones  who  render  the  text  in  a  stilted 
and  artificial  classroom  jargon  no 
matter  who  is  speaking  in  it. 

The  verses  which  a  translator  puts 
down  in  and  under  the  name  of  a 
great  poet  can  never  be  greater  than 
his  own  verses  would  be.  True,  he 
may  be  working  under  the  powerful 
and  constant  stimulation  of  the  glori- 
ous page  at  his  elbow;  but  the  ex- 
ample and  inspiration  of  the  original, 
while  they  may  give  him  the  uncon- 
trollable urge  to  compose  matchless 
poetry,  can,  alas!  never  give  him  the 
ability  to  do  so.  If  it  could,  America 
would  have  produced  as  many  im- 
mortal bards  as  it  has  professors  of 
English. 

But  if  dullness  is  a  common  defect 
of  translators,  even  genius  can  be  a 
danger.  For  if  it  is  unfair  of  a  trans- 
lator to  do  a  worse  job  than  the 
original  poet,  it  is  both  unfair  and 
unkind  of  him  to  do  a  better!  The 
only  solution  is  for  the  translator  to 
be  just  as  great  a  poet- — no  more,  no 
less — as  the  man  he  is  translating. 
And  what  are  the  chances  of  that  ever 
happening?  And  if  it  did,  the  result 
would  be  not  two  versions  of  the  same 
poem,  but  simply  two  poets  writing 
on  the  same  theme.  Homer  was  to 
the  Greeks  and  all  who  followed  the 
poet,  the  greatest  master  of  poetic 
language  the  world  has  known.  Yet 
though  poets  have  read  and  trans- 
MAY  1955 


lated  him  in  every  age,  to  this  day 
the  only  readable  Homer  in  English 
is  not  poetry  at  all  but  prose— literal- 
ly Homer  with  Homer  left  out! 

Folly   Number  Four — the   Illusion 
of  the  Literal  Translation:    "He  who 
translates  a  verse  quite  literally  is  a 
liar,"  is  the  rabbinical  rule.300    If  two 
words  in  two  different  languages  had 
exactly  the  same  meaning  in  all  con- 
texts,  then    it   would   be   possible    to 
translate  the  one  by  the  other  in  any 
operation.      But  it  is    almost   impos- 
sible to  find  two  words  in  any   two 
languages  that  have  this  perfect  one- 
to-one   relationship!     Nothing   could 
be  more  obvious  than  that  the  Latin 
"in"  for  example,  is  the  same  as  our 
word  "in";  yet  at  least  half  the  time 
it  is  impossible  to  translate  the  one 
"in"  by  the  other.    For  a  literal  trans- 
lation  every   word   in   one   language 
would  require  a  word  that  matched 
it    perfectly   in   the   other.      But    the 
meanings  of  words  in  different  lan- 
guages do  not  coincide  snugly;  they 
only  overlap  loosely  in  limited  areas; 
for  example,  "to  follow"  may  mean 
to   accompany,   to  pursue,   to  under- 
stand  another,   to   succeed,   to   come 
after,  to  chase,  to  obey  another,  etc. 
All  these  ideas  overlap  with  the  idea 
of    following.      So    when    a   recently 
found   ancient   Christian   manuscript 
says   that   miracles   come   after   faith, 
and  are  not  meant  for  the  unbeliev- 
ing, it  is  an  easy  thing  for  the  modern 
translator  to  take  the  sting  out  of  the 
passage    by    rendering    "come    after" 
(tahat)    as  "accompany,"  because   in 
some  cases   it  can  mean  that.101      If 
he   is   taken   to  task  for  the  obvious 
perversion  of  the  meaning,  the  trans- 
lator need  only  point  with  wide-eyed 
innocence   to   the   dictionary,   where, 
sure    enough,    "follow"    does    mean 
"accompany."      Because   words   only 
overlap   in   meaning,    the   most    "lit- 
eral"  translation   can   be   completely 
misleading. 

(To  he  continued) 
BIBLIOGRAPHY 

^'M.    Schanz,    Gesch.    der   romischen   Lit- 
teratur   (Munich,  1914),  IV,  543L 
"/ft/:  Bihl  Lit.  70  (1951),  pp.  3-5. 

S4J.  Bligh,  in  Church  Quarterly  Review 
CLIII   (1952),  310. 

^Peter  Lombard,  Sententiae  I,  V,  8  in 
Patrol.  Lat.  CXCII,  537. 

WF.  Schindler,  in  Koeniger,  Beitr,  zur 
Gesch.  des  christl.  Altertums,  p.  432. 

S7A.  Lunn  and  J.  B.  S.  Haldane,  Science 
and  the  Supernatural  (N.  Y.:  Sheed  &  Ward, 
1935),  p.  51. 

"H.  Denzinger,  Enchiridion  Symbolorum, 
Nos.   1429-32,   1530-2,   1602-8,  67,  etc. 

(Continued  on  following  page) 


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366 


CONTROLLING  THE  PAST 


(Continued  from  preceding  page) 

soQuoted  by  G.  C.  Coulton  in  Hibbert 
Journal  XXIX2   (Jan.   1921),  p.   336. 

"°M.  Leclercq,  in  the  Diet.  d'Arch.  Chret. 
et  de  Liturg.,  VI,  2689. 

01 M.  De  Wulf,  History  of  Medieval  Philos- 
ophy (1926),  II,  7,  n.  4. 

!>2I.  Goldzieher,  Vorlesungen  ilber  den 
Islam  (Heidelberg,  1925),  p.  43. 

B:sIbid.,  p.  44. 

mA.  Bayet,  Les  Provenciales  de  Pascal 
(Malfere,  1931),  p.  90. 

!r,Lunn  &  Haldane,  op.  cit.,  p.  94. 

0liThis  belief  is  held  by  V.  G.  Childe,  New 
Light  on  the  Most  Ancient  East  (N.  Y.: 
Praeger,  1953),  though  where  business  econ- 
omy fails  to  produce  writing  or  even  use  it 
when  it  is  known,  he  overlooks  the  anomaly. 
"There  is  no  evidence  that  the  local  kings 
felt  the  need  of  clerks  to  look  after  their 
revenues."   (p.  217.) 

KSee  our  series,  "The  Stick  of  Judah  and 


the  Stick  of  Joseph,  "in  The  Improvement 
Era,  Vol.  56  (January  through  May   1953.) 

The  independence  of  ancient  farmers  on 
written  calendars  is  well  illustrated  in  the 
Talmud  where,  For  example,  the  perform- 
ance of  ritual  acts  or  the  length  of  ritual 
periods  is  determined  by  the  time  when  cer- 
tain leaves  fall,  when  certain  plants  turn 
dry,  when  winter  grapes  are  ripe,  etc.; 
houses  are  rented  "until  the  second  rain 
falls,"  Sebiith  ix.  Indeed  Childe  admits 
that  the  first  set  calendar,  that  of  the  Egyp- 
tians, "was  patently  useless  for  just  the 
purpose  for  which  it  had  been  devised," 
(op.  cit.,  p.  3.) — another  way  of  saying  that 
it  must  have  been  devised  for  some  other 
purpose. 

9:'A.  Gardiner,  Egyptian  Grammar,  p.  1. 

]00Stenning,  Targum  of  Isaiah,  p.  ix. 

I01J.  &  A.  Perier,  Les  '127  Canons  des 
Apotres'  (Texte  Arabe) ,  Can.  xlviii,  in  Pa- 
trol. Oriental.  VIII,  623. 


THESE  TIMES 


(Continued  from  page  290) 
allocated  for  construction  and  mainte- 
nance of  "state"  and  local  roads,  as 
distinguished  from  the  new  "national" 
designated  highways.  This  would  per- 
mit the  construction  of  the  many  urban 
thruways  and  parkways,  the  purely 
state,  county,  farm-to-market,  other  ur- 
ban and  rural  projects  now  needed  and 
to  be  anticipated  in  the  future;  also 
connections  to  the  national  trunk  sys- 
tem and  its  bypasses. 

The  continuation  of  the  present  vol- 
ume of  federal  aid,  readjusted  to  non- 
national  highway  needs  within  the 
states  themselves,  is  an  extremely  im- 
portant consideration.  It  will  help  al- 
leviate the  urban,  metropolitan  traffic 
problem.  It  will  provide  the  fiscal  basis 
for  important  safety,  as  well  as  for  com- 
munication factors  in  state  and  local 
highway  construction.  It  will  tend  to 
readjust  the  role  of  the  states  in  the 
federal  system  by  removing  some  of  the 
frustrations  now  associated  with  the 
federal-state  highway  system.  In  that, 
it  will  help  close  the  existing  gap. 

Proposition  #3 

The  traffic  toll  is  a  compound-  of  hu- 
man failures,  inadequate  highways,  and 
excessive  speeds.  A  combination  of  ap- 
proaches is  necessary  to  reduce  this  toll. 

With  the  establishment  of  the  "na- 
tional" highway  system,  it  will  be 
necessary  to  reconcile  the  new,  swift 
streams  of  traffic  with  the  demands  for 
safety. 

A  National  Traffic  Safety  Patrol,  re- 
cruited and  trained  comparable  to  FBI 
standards,  could  be  created  in  the  Pub- 
lic Roads  Administration.  Their  re- 
sponsibility would  be  to  develop  safety 
standards  for  the   licensing  of  vehicles 


and  operators  using  the  national  high- 
way system  and  traffic  moving  in  inter- 
state commerce  thereon,  and,  to  co- 
operate with  the  state  authorities. 

Traffic  offenses  in  interstate  com- 
merce on  the  national  highways,  so 
designated,  would  be  enforceable  by 
prosecution  in  existing  local  and  state 
courts. 

Proposition  #4 

More  adequate  provision  for  research 
should  be  established  in  order  to  evalu- 
ate properly  the  data  available  under 
this  plan.  An  important  phase  of  this 
research  would  be  to  harmonize  high- 
way construction,  fiscal  requirements, 
safety,  and  safety  regulation  without 
restricting  the  creative  spirit,  the  re- 
sourcefulness, enterprise,  and  inven- 
tiveness that  is  embodied  and  rep- 
resented in  the  American  automobile 
industry.  Here,  as  in  every  phase  of 
American  life,  public  interest  must  be 
reconciled  with  the  recognition  of  the 
creative  spirit  of  the  free  individual  and 
freedom  of  enterprise.  Research,  and 
collaboration  in  research,  between  in- 
dustry and  the  governmental  authori- 
ties concerned,  is  the  surest  and  sound- 
est way  to  effect  this  reconciliation.  The 
American  family  and  schools  must 
assume  their  full  share  of  the  respon- 
sibility for  applying  the  knowledge 
obtained  to  the  problems  of  human  be- 
havior on  the  highways. 

Summary 

We  have  the  engineering  talent  and 
know-how  to  build  the  best,  safest  high- 
ways in  the  world,  provided  we  find  the 
financial  resources.  It  might  be  asked 
whether  the  states  can  longer  be  relied 
upon   to  supply   this   peculiar   national 

THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


need.  The  population  boom  has  only 
begun!  For  the  national  government 
to  assume  the  responsibility  for  one 
phase  of  our  roads — the  purely  "na- 
tional" interstate  system — could  be  a 
better  form  of  federal-aid  to  educa- 
tion than  grants-in-aid  and  would  in- 
sure state  and  local  control  of  that 
important  obligation. 

Perhaps  we  can  properly  turn  our  re- 
sources to  an  important  dollar  "gap" 
at  home — and  help  produce  the  safe 
and  adequate  highways  American  life 
requires.  The  foregoing  statements,  may 
it  be  again  repeated,  are  not  advocated 
as  a  desirable  program.  They  are  pre- 
sented merely  as  a  device  for  stimulating 
interest  in  and  concern  for  a  major 
domestic  problem  of  the  United  States. 
The  role  of  the  national  government 
has  been,  to  speak  candidly,  purposely 
over-emphasized  in  this  "day-dreaming." 
What  are  the  alternatives?  This  is  one 
of  the  challenges  of  these  times. 


MASTER  M  MAN  BREAKFAST 

June  11,  1955 

The  Master  M  Man  breakfast,  a  glori- 
ous annual  affair  held  for  and  in 
honor  of  all  men  who  have  achieved  the 
Master  M  Man  award,  will  be  held 
again  in  1955  as  part  of  the  June  Con- 
ference program. 

Scheduled  for  the  Roof  Garden  of  the 
Hotel  Utah  on  Saturday  morning,  June 
11,  1955,  at  6:45  a.m.,  it  will  cost  $2.25. 

All  Master  M  Men  are  urged  to  at- 
tend, and  reservations  must  be  made  in 
advance.  Please  write  to  Master  M  Man 
Breakfast  Committee,  YMMIA  General 
Office,  50  North  Main,  Salt  Lake  City 
1,  Utah,  by  June  1,  1955. 

If  you  wish,  you  may  send  the  money 
in  with  your  reservation;  if  you  wish  to 
pay  at  the  breakfast,  you  may  indicate 
that.  In  addition  send  the  year  you  re- 
ceived your  Master  M  Man  award. 


MY  WEALTH 

By  H.   H.   Ramsay 

TV/Iy  wealth  is  not  in  silver  and  gold 

But  in  a  purer  and  finer  expression  of 
soul. 
Day  by  day  I  horde  the  precious   gems, 
Filling   life's  great  coffers  o'er  their   brims. 

With  the  passing  of  the  fleeting  hours, 
My  wealth  brings  to  me  unbounded  powers, 
For    I'm    sure   to    invest   its    increasing    toll 
With  the  better  elements  of  a  living  soul. 

My  wealth  I  would  not  selfishly  hide  away 
But  give  it  back  freely  in  work  or  play; 
It's  the  saving  of  the  spirit  of  humankind 
Beckoning  men  the  better  things  of  life  to 
find. 

My  priceless  wealth  none  can  defile, 
For  it  is  the  sacred  smile  of  a  child, 
Given  so  freely  and  with  ardor  so  fine, 
For  one  that  a  moment  before  was  mine. 

MAY  1955 


Send  for 

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BUSINESS  COLLEGE 

BRANCH   OF   BRIGHAM   YOUNG    UNIVERSITY 
70    North    Main    —    3-2765    —   Salt    Lake    City 


TO:   L.D.S.  BUSINESS  COLLEGE 

70  North  Main  St.,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

Please    send    me    your    KIT    of    helpful    information    containing    Ways    To    Improve    Personality, 
Business  Careers,  How  To  Be  A  Super  Secretary,  and  other  information. 


Name 


Address  

City State. 


CAN'T  BE 
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ANNUAL  INDEX  1954 


IN  USE  for  SEVENTY-FIVE  YEARS 

Aids  in  treatment  of  Canker,  simple 
sore  throat  and  other  minor  mouth 
and  throat  irritations. 

HALL'S  REMEDY 

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Mail  Orders  Given  Prompt  Attention 

UTAH   ENGRAVING   CO. 

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367 


Your  Page 


A  MIA  MAID  "ONE  HUNDRED  PERCENTER' 


;:v:;:„s :.:;;- ;;>:;;; 


UB^MmM 


Mia  Maid  Rae  Anderson  of 
the  Benjamin  Ward, 
Nebo  (Utah)  Stake,  has  an 
enviable  Church  record — 
one  hundred  percent  at- 
tendance for  the  last  four 
years  at  sacrament  meeting, 
Sunday  School,  and  Mu- 
tual. Reported  by  Virginia 
De  Hart,  Nebo  Stake  YW 
MIA  Pres. 


Rae  Anderson 


L  D  S  YOUTH  ACHIEVES 


John  V.  Riggs,  a  member 
of  the  Phoenix  (Arizona) 
Fifth  Ward,  is  the  secretary 
of  his  priests'  quorum,  and 
president  of  the  freshmen 
class  at  Phoenix  College, 
being  a  letterman  in  base- 
ball there,  as  well  as  being 
a  member  of  the  M  Men 
basketball  team  in  the 
Phoenix  Fifth  Ward.  He 
was  active  in  seminary  dur- 
ing his  high  school  days, 
and  is  taking  an  active  part 
in  the  Institute  of  Religion 
now.  He  has  a  near  "A" 
average  in  his  college  work. 


John  V.  Riggs 


•  ■»■ 


Sasebo,  Japan 
Dear  Brethren, 

F  should  like  to  take  this  opportunity  to  thank  you  for  The 
Improvement  Era,  which  comes  to  our  home  each  month  from 
the  elders'  quorum  of  the  Cedar  City  First  Ward.  We  as  a  family 
look  forward  to  receiving  it  each  month.  It  is  a  means  of  being 
at  home  while  faraway.  Many  wonderful  hours  are  spent  in 
reading  it  and  we  have  gained  much  from  its  stories  and  spiritual 
guidance.     The  Sasebo  Group  out  here  often  mention  articles  from 


the  Era  and  the  magazine  is  exchanged  among  the  fellows  out 
here.  We  are  very  appreciative  of  the  guidance  and  instruction 
we  gain  from  its  pages.  It  is  an  inspiration  and  blessing  out 
home. 

Again  we  say  thank  you  and  may  the  Lord   bless  you   always 
in  this  glorious  work. 

Sincerely, 

/s/  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lyle  Barton  and 
Daughter  Sherry. 


Ogden,  Utah 
Dear  Editors: 

J  felt  I  should  write  you  a  word  of  thanks  for  The  Improvement 
*  Era.  It  helps  in  so  many  ways.  At  the  present  time  I  especial- 
ly want  to  thank  you  for  the  series  of  articles  entitled  "If  I  Were 
in  My  Teens."  My  Sunday  School  girls  (age  13)  are  very  much 
interested  in  the  "right  things  to  do,"  and  in  the  spare  time  after 
the  lesson,  I  have  read  these  articles  to  them.  They  are  most 
appreciative.  Give  us  as  much  of  this  type  of  information  as 
possible. 

Sincerely, 

/s/  Cozette  Hirschi 


Three  Forks,  Montana 
Dear  Editors: 

HP-he  March  issue  of  The  Improvement  Era  received.  Thanks  for 
-*-     the  extra  copy. 

The  skilful  arrangement  of  the  material  comprising  Part  I  of  the 
story  of  Martin  Harris  as  published  reflects  the  discerning  judg- 
ment of  the  editorial  staff.  The  incorporation  of  that  information 
concerning  the  Three  Witnesses,  not  contained  in  the  original 
manuscript,  is  highly  instructive  and  appropriate  and  makes  a 
better  introduction. 

I  am  indeed  well  pleased  and  anticipate  with  great  interest  the 
publication  of  the  remainder  of  the  story. 

Very  respectfully, 

/s/  William  H.  Homer,  Jr. 


Bar  Harbor,  Maine 
Dear  Editors: 

I"  find  The  Improvement  Era  magazine  a  very  wonderful  maga- 
*■  zine  to  have  in  our  home,  it  has  so  many  wonderful  teachings 
to  help  us  to  live  the  gospel.  And,  it  keeps  us  informed  in  how 
our  Church  is  growing  and  the  temples  and  chapels  that  are  being 
built,  and  I  think  the  "Spoken  Word"  by  Richard  L.  Evans  is 
wonderful,  too,  and  the  Melchizedek  Priesthood  and  the  Presiding 
Bishopric's  page.  It  is  a  wonderful  guide  to  help  us  to  live  the 
gospel. 

May  the  spirit  of  the  Lord  bless  and  guide  you  in  your  work  for 
the  Lord.     Amen. 

Sincerely, 

/s/  Mrs.  Clarence  B.  Stanley 


SERVICEMEN  AT  FORD  ORD,  CALIFORNIA 

/VfE  of  the  groups  of  LDS  servicemen  at  Fort  Ord,  California. 
"  Pictured  are  (kneeling,  left  to  right) :  Morris  K.  Christiansen, 
Elsinore,  Utah;  William  G.  McFarland,  Logan,  Utah;  Larry  E. 
Hancock,  Pocatello,  Idaho.  Standing:  Gerald  N.  Randall,  North 
Ogden,  Utah;  T.  Bates  Westerberg,  St.  Anthony,  Idaho;  Elmo  G. 
Matthews,  Evanston,  Wyoming;  and  Bert  L.  Brown,  Logan,  Utah. 
With  Jim  Sill,  who  is  absent  from  the  picture,  they  work  in  the  ' 
Finance  and  Accounting  Office.  Six  of  the  group  have  attended 
Brigham  Young  University,  the  other  two  have  attended  Utah 
State  Agricultural  College.  Five  of  the  eight  are  returned  mission- 
aries. 


368 


THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


w&AnaMu-  sZ&  vvwhsu*  ^Jhb  co&sxA  ot 


Cafe  skirt  made  from  cafe  curtains 
...  a  "Fashion  Color  Recipe"  with 
dramatic  effect.  Loop  cord  belt 
through  the  brass  curtain 
rings.  Wear  over  skirt, 
petticoat  or  trousers. 


TYPICAL     LAW     OFFICE      SCENE     IN     1905 


^e/^cmff/m^.. . 


Office  decor  has  changed  somewhat,  as  have  clothing  styles, 
but  to  all  outward  appearances  the  practice  of  law  has  changed 
little  in  the  past  fifty  years.  However,  the  lawyer  of  today  must 
have  a  far  broader  knowledge  of  his  profession  —  as  well  as  inten- 
sive training  in  his  specialty.  Insurance  law  is  a  good  example. 
Every  new  Beneficial  Life  program  —  like  our  popular  "Planned 
Futures"  —  is  worked  out  carefully  in  consultation  with  our 
specially  trained  legal  counselors.  The  two  professions  —  insurance 
and  law  —  have  much  in  common,  since  they  both  depend  upon  high 
ethical  standards,  integrity,  and  professional  knowledge  in  looking 
after  your  interests. 

BENEFICIAL  LIFE 


'Mtiitmce 


David  O.  McKay,  Pres 


ompa/iu 

Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 


Our  General  Agents 


IrT^ 


Phil  D.  Jensen,  C.L.U., 
heads  the  Central  Utah 
agency,  with  main  of- 
fices at  Provo,  and  with 
18  agents  located  in 
Provo,  American  Fork, 
Pleasant  Grove,  Orem, 
Springville,  Nephi, 
Delta,  Roosevelt,  B land- 
ing, Spanish  Fork, 
Huntington  and  Ephra- 


Marion  H.  Hill  heads 
the  Sacramento  Valley 
Agency,  with  12  Bene- 
ficial Life  agents  lo- 
cated in  Sacramento, 
Carmichael,  Fair  Oaks, 
Vallejo,  Fairfield,  West- 
wood,  Uba  City,  and 
Oroville.